From Mika’il Tsoho, Dutse
Concerned residents and community leaders of Kiyawa Town have appealed to the Jigawa State Government to include their community in the ongoing state-wide flood mitigation initiative.
The appeal was contained in a statement signed by Dan Makwayon Kiyawa, Lawan Ahmad Bako, on behalf of affected residents, and made available to journalists.
“We write to express our profound discomfort and disappointment regarding the recent announcement by the Jigawa State Government on the approval of billions of naira to tackle flooding across the state — from which Kiyawa Town appears to be excluded,” the statement read.
According to the statement, Kiyawa Town has long suffered from recurring floods that have severely impacted homes, farmlands, public infrastructure, and livelihoods with each rainy season.
“This annual disaster continues to inflict immense hardship, displacing families, destroying crops, and steadily eroding the economic and social fabric of our community,” the statement noted.
Despite multiple appeals and efforts by the residents to reach out to government representatives at various levels, a lasting solution remains elusive.
While commending the government’s commitment to addressing the broader flooding crisis in the state through substantial financial investment, the residents described Kiyawa’s exclusion as “perplexing and deeply troubling,” especially given the town’s well-documented vulnerability to flooding.
“Records and anecdotal evidence available to the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and other relevant bodies consistently show Kiyawa Town among the most severely affected areas during flood seasons,” the statement added.
The residents expressed concern that their exclusion from the intervention projects would worsen the suffering of the community and further dampen their hopes for relief.
They therefore urged the state government to reconsider and promptly include Kiyawa Town in the flood control and relief efforts funded by the recently approved funds.
“We call for an immediate and comprehensive assessment of our situation and swift integration into the ongoing mitigation projects,” the statement concluded.