From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi
The Benue State Government has pledged to work in synergy with the National Hydro-Electric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (N-HYPPADEC) in planning and forecasting to prevent future disasters in the state.
Governor Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia stated this at the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) headquarters on Wednesday, July 2, while receiving relief materials donated by N-HYPPADEC.
He acknowledged the agency’s contributions to the economic growth of the state and promised that the government would collaborate with N-HYPPADEC on disaster management.
He said, “N-HYPPADEC has been contributing to the economy of Benue State and lifting people out of poverty. It has risen to the occasion to alleviate the suffering in the areas that were affected.
“In the future, we will work with you so that we can plan on the issue of disaster management. We should not only be responding when it occurs; we can act in anticipation of some of these things and address them before they happen.”
The governor further said, “As time goes on, we will collaborate and engage with you to carry out our forecasting so that our communities will not continue to be ravaged by natural and non-natural consequences.”
Earlier, the Acting Managing Director of N-HYPPADEC, Mr Jimoh Haruna Gabi, advised Nigerians to embrace intelligence gathering to curb rising insecurity across the country.
Gabi, who urged citizens to assist security agents with intelligence to prevent the recurrence of attacks in their communities, said that security should not be left solely in the hands of security personnel.
He said, “We should be more sensitive to our environment and always help our security men with intelligence gathering to avert future occurrences.”
He stated that, despite financial constraints, the organisation had been able to provide relief materials for victims of attacks in the state.
Among the relief materials donated were mattresses, rice, palm oil, bathing soap, treated mosquito nets, detergents, hero hunter machines, rubber mats, and cartons of Maggi.
The Acting MD called on the state government to ensure the judicious distribution of the relief materials.