The Managing Director of Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPDEC), Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq Yelwa has hinted that seventy communities in Ibaji Riverine Areas of Kogi State will henceforth be granted special intervention privilege in view of their deplorable environmental location.
The Managing Director disclosed this while on an inspection tour of Ibaji Local Government Area to identify problems associated with its environmental crisis and possible areas of assistance.
The Managing Director during the inspection visit, met with the Ata’Igala, Alhaji Matthew Opaluwa Oguche-Akpa at his palace in Idah and the Chairman of Ibaji Local Government Area Traditional Council, Chief John Egwemi at Onyedega, headquarters of Ibaji to dialogue on the way forward for the success of HYPPDEC intervention scheme in their domains.
According to Alhaji Yelwa who was in company of his entire management team, “The findings of HYPPDEC had revealed that communities in Ibaji Local Government Area for decades have suffered untold hardship ranging from lack of access roads to inability to carry out development in the zone as a result of the impact of natural disaster such as heavy flooding and erosion menace being experienced on yearly basis. This terrible situation has placed Ibaji LGA on disadvantage position as worst heat in terms of natural calamities above other HYPPDEC member communities in Kogi State, hence our consideration to focus more in giving special attention and assistance to the zone.
“In the course of our inspection visit, we have seen the deplorable condition of the access roads to Ibaji which is very pathetic. We will make our impact towards road rehabilitation as well as provision of boreholes, mitigation of devastating flooding among others to boost socio-economic activities in Ibaji and improve on the living condition of the people.
“So far 1,800 communities have benefited from our intervention programme across the country, and we are glad that we are making significant impact to cushion the effect of difficulties faced by the people of HYPPDEC member communities.”
The Ata’Igala, Alhaji Matthew Opaluwa Oguche-Akpa in his speech, commended HYPPDEC for its quick intervention to the plight of victims of last year’s flooding in Kogi State of which four local government areas in his domain were beneficiaries.
His Royal Majesty told the Managing Director of HYPPDEC that he will not relent in giving useful advice on the way forward for the success of its scheme in his domain.
In his own remarks, the Eje Ibaji and Chairman of Ibaji LGA Traditional Council, Chief John Egwemi identified dredging of River Niger and construction of more dams as the only way to effectively tackle the problem of flooding in Nigeria.
He said the establishment of HYPPDEC is a blessing to riverine communities and lauded the agency for its numerous assistances to the people of Ibaji during difficult times.
Highpoint of the visit was the conferment of honorary chieftaincy title on the HYPPDEC Managing Director, Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq Yelwa as “Abeneche Ata’Igala, meaning Ata’s Confidant with salutation “WALI” in recognition of his contributions towards the upliftment of mankind and socio-economic activities in Igala Kingdom.
