THE Gbako Local Government Area of Niger State on Sunday commenced the arrangements to relocate over 40 communities that are prone to flood disaster.
Secretary of the council, Husseini Aliyu, said this in Gbako. He said the council had started the relocation process by embarking on education and sensitisation of the people, whose lives were endangered along the flood plains of the rivers in those communities.
Aliyu said the relocation of the communities would be temporary as most of them did not want to abandon their ancestral homes for other permanent places.
According to him, only about two, out of the 40 affected communities, have applied for permanent relocation, adding that the council was working on the applications with a view to providing safe areas that could receive enhanced development.
The council boss stated that over 45 per cent of the land mass of the council was prone to flood because of the topography of most of the communities.
He appealed to the State Emergency Management Agency to take proactive measures to minimise the risks in the area this year.
He also asked the state government to prevail on the contractor, handling the 10km road project the council was executing in conjunction with the state government, to mobilise to site, explaining that the contractor had abandoned the project after collecting mobilisation.
