Govt delegation donates relief materials to Shonga, as flood victims lose farmlands

By Mosunmola Ayobami, Ilorin
The Kwara State Government delegation visited Shonga in Edu Local Government Area on Sunday to investigate the causes of unusual flooding that submerged rice farmlands spanning thousands of hectares.
Led by the Deputy Chief of Staff, Princess Bukola Babalola, the delegation also delivered relief materials worth millions of naira to the affected farmers in the Tada community.

During the visit, the delegation met with the Emir of Shonga, Dr. Haliru Yahya Ndanusa, and the flood victims in Tada.
Other members of the delegation included the Chairman of the House of Assembly Committee on Agriculture, Saba Gideon; Honourable Commissioners for Agriculture, Water Resources, Environment, and Youth Development; the Special Adviser on Special Duties; the Senior Special Assistant on Security to the Governor; Chairman of Edu Local Government Area, Abdullahi Bello; the Secretary of the Kwara State Emergency Management Agency; a director from the Office of the Secretary to the State Government; and the General Manager of the Kwara State Social Investment Programme.

Princess Babalola assured the victims that the government would provide support to mitigate the impact of the flooding.
“We are here to assess the damage done to the farmlands, particularly the rice farms in Tada. We have seen the extent of the destruction, and we will relay this to His Excellency, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, to determine immediate and long-term solutions to prevent a recurrence,” she said.

She further noted, “The farmers here are in dire need of support. We have heard their concerns, and help is on the way.”
Babalola thanked the community residents for their cooperation and understanding, emphasizing the government’s commitment to their welfare and resolving the flooding issues.
The Emir of Shonga, Dr. Haliru Yahya Ndanusa, expressed deep concern over the incident, warning that the flooding could impact food security in the state. He urged the government to thoroughly investigate the cause of the unusual flooding.

“From here to Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso, Niger Republic, and Mali, there has been no rain. The Sahel is dry. How can there be a flood here? The source of this flood must be local,” the Emir said.
He continued, “We have contacted the Kainji Dam, and they confirmed it wasn’t from them. However, Jebba Dam could not deny its role, and they even mentioned plans to close it soon. We have spent years attracting people to farm here, and we hope such incidents do not recur, as they threaten food security.
“His Excellency has personally addressed this issue, and we appreciate his concern and the prompt action of this delegation. It is crucial to determine the root cause of the flooding. If Jebba Dam released water, why was it done, and who authorized it?”
A community leader from Tada, Muhammad Abdulkadir, revealed that the flooding submerged numerous farmlands, resulting in massive losses for the farmers.
“Our farmers come from various northern states, including Kebbi, Zamfara, Kano, and Niger. They have lost millions of naira worth of rice farms to this flooding,” Abdulkadir said.
“In years without flooding, we produce over three million metric tonnes of rice annually. We thank the government for their prompt intervention, but this must not end here. We urge the government to find a permanent solution to the perennial flooding in this area. The only permanent solution is to dredge the River Niger.”