Muye Community in Lapai Local Government Appeals for Intervention in River Gurara Embarkment Project

By YM Bina

Muye community and environs in Lapai local government area of Niger state has appealed to the federal government through National Hydro-electric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (N-HYPPADEC), Niger state government to as a matter of urgency intervene in the permanent construction of River Gurara embarkment to end over flooding.

The chairman, Amugu Progressive Association Muye (APAM) Yahaya Yusuf Muye made the call while speaking to journalists on a telephone interview on the recent development that has left many farmlands and crops destroyed due to over flow that has cut part of the water Bank and accessible road to Dere community of the area.

Yusuf Muye lamented that the project started late hence over 30 communities farmlands were affected, while matured  crops have been destroyed and some of their original farmlands were covered by sand from the river.

According to him, the only means of the economic livelihood of the affected victims like rice farm and fishing activities have been destroyed, calling for speedy intervention of the relevant authorities and international organizations to come to the community support.

He added that the embankment which is around Muye–Dere Junction poses a serious threat of flooding to many affected communities to include: Muye, Eshi, Dere, Egba, Bina, Dagbaje-Woro, Ebwa, Apataku, Reba, Kuchi, Achiba, Sokun, Baka, Arah, among other communities are victims.

This destruction according to Yusuf Muye has advance effects on food security and the country GDP due to the farm products negative impacts and the consequences of environmental degradation in the area.

Earlier, the federal government through the purported constituency project had first construct the embarkment and failed while N-HYPPADEC currently intervend with the ongoing reconstruction before these development.