Niger State Governor in North Central Nigeria, Abubakar Sani Bello has described the recent boat mishap in Zhigiri Village of Shiroro local government in the state as painful and unfortunate.
Governor Sani Bello in a statement on Wednesday, pointed out that the construction of the Zungeru Dam has forced the residents of the affected communities to adopt water transportation as alternative means of transportation.
The Governor also urged the Hydro Power Producing Area Development Commission (HYPPADEC) to as a matter of urgency, provide safety precautions such as life jackets, sensitization of affected community members on water transportation among others to safeguard lives.
Governor Sani Bello, who acknowledged that the Zungeru Dam was designed to boost power generation in the country, said the people living in communities around the Dam must be protected.
He further gave the assurance that the state government will not leave any stone unturned in ensuring that all necessary measures are in place to prevent reoccurrence.
While commiserating with the families of the victims the Governor prayed Allah to forgive their shortcomings and grant them Aljanna Firdausi.
“I am really sad with the unfortunate boat mishap, measures need to be put in place to really avoid reoccurrence. It is good to have the Dam, it is also important to protect the people living around the Dam.
“My prayers are with the family members of the victims, I urge them to accept the incident as an act of Allah”, he said.
It would be recalled that 7 people recently lost their lives in Zhigiri village of Shiroro local government area while heading to a neighbouring village.
Nnenna.O
