The Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC) has commenced training of 60 enumerators for a needs assessment in 13 Local Government Areas affected by flood in Kebbi.
The Director, Legal Services of HYPPADEC, Alhaji Jamilu Jega, who announced this in Birnin Kebbi on Tuesday explained that the four-day training was to enumerate the areas affected by the floods.
Jega urged the trainees to pay attention to the training, saying that each participant must be trained to handle the assignment in the affected areas.
“Try as much as possible to do your best so that all of us can benefit and at the same time contribute meaningfully to the development of our environment and participate in tackling the climate change challenges in the state,” Jega said.
In his remarks, the Lead Resource Person, Dr Rufa’i Aliyu, a Lecturer with the Kebbi state University of Science and Technology, Aliero, advised the trainees to desist from inputting false data in the assessment.
“Let us focus on what you are expected to do, especially when you get to the affected communities who have suffered environmentally.
“HYPPADEC will depend on the information on the issues of the communities you gather and it will be utilised in solving the problems facing the affected communities.
“Let us be sincere in our enumerating. Don’t sit down at home to fill the questionnaires, instead of being on the fields; It is better you protect your integrity than providing false data.
“Now, you have the opportunity to save the lives of people and save our communities.
“Don’t join those people who will be destroying our communities because once you bring false information into your data, you are among those destroying our communities,’’ he said.
He appealed to all the participants to concentrate fully on the training which, he said, would be computer based.
“When you get to the affected communities, you will have interactions with your colleagues, people of different backgrounds and the major stakeholders in the communities in the course of your data gathering,” Aliyu said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) identified the affected local government areas to include: Birnin Kebbi, Jega, Dandi, Bagudo, Bunza, Argungu, Maiyama, Augie, Yauri, Shanga, Koko, Ngaski, and Suru,
The HYPPADEC (Establishment Act, (No. 87 of 2010) states that the commission shall, among other things, formulate policies and guidelines for the development of hydroelectric power producing areas.
In addition, it would carry out surveys of the areas to ascertain measures necessary to promote its physical development and prepare schemes designed to promote the development of the areas.
It is also to implement all measures approved for the development of hydroelectric power producing areas by the Federal Government.
Similarly, it would tackle ecological problems that arise from overloading of dams in the hydroelectric power producing areas and advise federal and state governments on the prevention and control of floods and environmental hazards, NAN reports. (NAN)
