Flood: Saraki Urges Timely Completion Of Ilorin Channelisation Project

By Steve Oni, Ilorin

The Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki has called on the Federal Ministry of Environment to speedy up construction works on Alore/Abatasunkere channelisation project in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital.

Saraki, who lamented the abandonment midway of the channelisation of the project, as a result of which flooding was ravaging the people of the community, made the call in Ilorin while distributing cash gifts, totalling N5 million to residents of Abata Asunkere/Alore community who were recently displaced by a devastating flood.

Represented by the Director- General of his constituency office in Ilorin, Alhaji Musa Abdullahi, Saraki blamed the recent flooding experienced in the community on the non completion of the channelisation project.

During the incident about 50 houses were destroyed by the flood which rendered scores homeless.

Saraki recalled that he facilitated the project to the area during his first tenure in the National Assembly between 2011- 2015 when he was Chairman, Senate Committee on Environment.

He said: “With this current situation, I am appealing to the federal ministry of environment to ensure timely completion of the project so as to put an end to the ugly situation in the area that always occurs during rainy season every year.

” I will liaise with the federal ministry of environment in order to make the contractor handling the project go back to site in order to ensure the completion of the project for the benefit of the residents of the state.

“I want to say that over 32 houses with over 1000 victims will be benefiting from the first phase of my financial support to the victims and it is meant to cushion the effect of the incident.”

Saraki , had in the wake of the devastating flooding made accommodation and feeding arrangements for the victims at his expansive ABS Mandate Constituency office along Western Reservoir road, Adewole, Ilorin.

Responding on behalf of the victims and beneficiaries of the cash gifts, Alhaji Sheu Oniguguru thanked Saraki for his kind gesture .

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