Flooding: Shettima assures Jigawa of FG’s budgetary intervention

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Flooding: Shettima assures Jigawa of FG’s budgetary intervention

Vice President Kashim Shettima on Wednesday, in Abuja, assured the Jigawa State Government that the President Bola Tinubu-led administration will help to lessen the devastating flooding incidents the state suffered in the last rainy season.

Speaking to a delegation of the Hadeija Emirate Council led by its Emir and Chairman of Jigawa State Traditional Council, Adamu Maje, who paid him a courtesy visit at the State House, Abuja, Shettima said, “I want to convey to you the message from President Bola Tinubu that the challenges of the place will be adequately captured in the next budget.”

The State House Director of Information, Office of the Vice President, Olusola Abiola, revealed this in a statement he signed on Wednesday titled ‘Vice President Shettima restates the importance of peace for national development.’

Shettima’s words come six months after former President Muhammadu Buhari promised to provide more relief items to victims of flooding in the state.

Buhari had, in late January, taken an aerial view of some of the roads, infrastructure, bridges and places affected by the flood disaster in September 2022, which affected many parts of Jigawa State.

They include Auyo through Kafin Hausa and some parts of Miga, Jahun, Kiyawa, Dutse and Birnin Kudu Local Government areas.

Addressing State House Correspondents in November 2022, the former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Farouq, described Jigawa as the worst-hit state with over 257 health facilities and schools destroyed by the widespread flood caused by torrential rainfall since August of that year.

Revisiting the challenge, the VP pledged that the Federal Government would soon address the challenge of flooding because of its negative impact on agriculture and food production.

While speaking on the high capacity of the state for wheat production, Shettima said, “in the next programme, we want to cultivate a minimum of 100,000 hectares in the wheat belt, so nearly 50,000 hectares will be devoted to Jigawa State as it is one of the few states which grow wheat in the belt comprising Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Katsina, Kano, Yobe and to Borno. I think Jigawa is our food basket.”

He restated the importance of peace for achieving any meaningful development in the country.

Shettima described peace as a major prequisite for national development, noting that Kano and Jigawa States have been largely peaceful and are “islands of peace in an unending ocean of poverty, insecurity and depravity”.

He also commended the Hadeija Emirate Council for what he called “a strong support” to the Tinubu/Shettima Adminstration observing that “as at the time we went to Hadeija, we were not in power and His Royal Highness was unequivocal in his support to us.

“It was a huge support and was anchored on the fact that our team was the best for the nation.”

The VP, who lauded the Hadeija Emirate for its developmental strides, said, “when I travelled from Kano to Hadeija, it was one of my happiest moment.

“I saw development coming up, I saw universities springing up, I saw a rice mill by Aliko Dangote, I saw so many development efforts.”

Earlier in his remarks, the Emir of Hadeija congratulated President Bola Tinubu and the Vice President on their successful inauguration and promised their continued support for the government.

The monarch thanked the Vice President for the appointment of one of their sons as the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, prayed for God’s guidance and direction for the new administration.