Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has flagged off the construction of a N212 million drainage/dykes/erosion control project at the Patigi General Hospital in the Patigi Local Government Area of the state.
The project is being funded by the Hydro-Electric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC).
The governor commended the commission for working in partnership with his government in bringing desired succour to the people.
“This feat is highly commendable and you may wish to look into those areas with hydro-electric installations across the State that are being threatened by these adverse environmental factors and work in partnership with our Government in bringing desired succour to the people,” AbdulRazaq said in Patigi during the flag off ceremony.
“Erosions, land degradations, deforestation, et al are among the major environmental issues affecting our State in recent times.
“The issues are caused and accelerated largely due to human factors (ranging from excessive wood logging for commercial purposes, charcoal production and so on) and of course other natural factors like climate change and global warming.”
Represented by Deputy Governor Kayode Alabi, the governor disclosed that the administration had intervened in different environmental management activities to safeguard the environment.
“Interventions such as tree planting campaign – for afforestation would be highly recommended as it would break heavy wind and reduce heavy flows of water during precipitations that wash away the soils and leading to gully erosions,” AbdulRazaq said.
HYPPADEC’s Managing Director, Abubakar Yelwa, revealed that the commissioner had expended a sum of N1.3 billion on its ongoing fertilizer subsidy scheme in communities of Kogi, Kwara, Niger, Benue, Kebbi, and Plateau states.
Yelwa added that HYPPADEC was basically established to address ecological and other socio-economic challenges of the affected states.
He said that in “line with this objective, the commission has, within the less than two years of its operation (15th January, 2021-Date), recorded numerous achievements.”