Nigeria’s famous Argungu fishing festival tourism venue, known as Matan Fada is under threat as heavy flooding has submerged the location and it’s environment.
According to signaturetv.org, youths in the ancient town have commenced direct labour by blocking prune areas with bags full of sand to further salvage the area from more erosion.
It was gathered that other villages under Argungu Emirate affected by flooding including, Babuche, Alwasa, Felande, Alwasa, Gotomo, Tungar Marina, among others while three bridges in areas have been damaged.
Emirate Council and its youths, on Friday, embarked on director labour in collaboration with the Kebbi State Director Labour Agency (KSDLA) to protect the town from the flood in the areas.
While speaking with newsmen at the river bank on Friday, the Chairman of State Direct Labour Agency(SDLA), Alhaji Bello Dantani, said that the labour was in line with the directive of Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, to avert the imminent collapse of the rivers.
According to him, “these rivers, if allowed or left unattended to, the flood will take over and submerge almost half of the Argungu, if not all the town.
The flood has serious caused environmental hazards upon these villages and settlements like Alwasa, Felande, Alwasa, Gotomo, Tungar Marina, among others.
“My agency, in collaboration with the Argungu emirate council as well as the uncountable number of youth in the area, mobilised in earnest to salvage the river Tabarau which aggressively wanted to break its banks and overflow to upland,” he said.
Dantani warned motorists, especially heavy trucks against plying Gawo Bridge to restrict themselves because the bridge has been damaged by the flood.
“We are now waiting for our Engineers to finish their assessment and observations, so that, very soon normal transportation would continue as the government would do all it possible best to restore the bridge to normalcy,” he said.
Also, Alhaji Ibrahim Hassan, the Representative of Emir of Argungu, Alhaji Samaila Mera, said the direct labour had been the tradition of the emirate since time immemorial whenever flood occurred and thanked the chairman of KSDL for collaborating with emirate to protect the community.
Earlier, the Chairman Argungu local government area, Alhaji Musa Muhammad, promised to cooperate with the state government in any project directed to help his people.
“Our government buildings are open to everyone who lost their houses to flood as we are directed by the governor to immediately ensure that those that don’t have a place of living, should be immediately moved to government buildings such as primary and secondary schools.
Source: signaturetv.org
