In an apparent bid to reduce the devastating impact of floods on lives and properties, the management of North South Power Company Limited (NSPCL) has sensitised communities involved in water-based activities around the Shiroro Hydro-Electric Power Station on flood disasters.
The Vice-Chairman of NSPCL, Engr. Olubunmi Peters, stated in his remarks at the annual stakeholders’ flood sensitisation and awareness forum held on Thursday in Minna, Niger State capital, that the workshop aimed to educate and raise awareness among communities, individuals, and riparian dwellers engaged in water-based activities upstream and downstream of the dam on flood-related issues.
Engr. Olubunmi Peters, who was represented at the workshop by a consultant on corporate social responsibility (CSR) to NSPCL, Hon. Abdullahi Hassan, added that the forum was to sensitise and educate communities upstream and downstream of the plant on the environmental hazards caused by flooding and the possible ways to reduce the devastating damages to lives and properties.
“To curtail the recurrence of floods, stakeholders need to institute appropriate measures by developing new strategies and the most effective remedies to flooding,” he said.
He explained that there is a need for the government to start aggressive desilting of gutters and flood channels across the state, as well as to intensify climate information services, especially for farmers.
The Vice Chairman assured that NSPCL will continue to prioritise the welfare and development of the company’s host communities and urged the communities to always embrace dialogue in settling disputes.
Earlier, in his welcome address, the Chief Operating Officer of NSPCL, Engr. Ugochukwu E. Chioke, said the workshop was aimed at creating awareness for communities upstream and downstream of the plant on flood-related issues.
He further stated that the workshop was to promote a culture of flood resilience and preparedness among the target audience by equipping them with the knowledge and skills to respond effectively to floods.
The Chairman of Munya Local Government Council, Alhaji Aminu Kuchi, noted that four wards in the council area, including Kuchi, Guni, Sarkin-Pawa, and Dangunu, usually experience floods every rainy season.
He explained that the sensitisation workshop will help communities that always experience floods stay alert and avoid engaging in water-based activities that could endanger their lives and properties at the peak of the rains.
Similarly, the District Head of Guni in Munya Local Government Area, Alhaji Usman Umar, said the sensitisation workshop was timely, as some communities in the area have already started experiencing floods, with crops such as rice, maize, and yams being either destroyed or washed away.
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