By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja.
His Royal Majesty, the Atta Igala, Dr Matthew Opaluwa Oguche-Akpa II has appealed to Hydro-Electric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC) to help upscale healthcare facilities in flood ravaged Local Government Areas in the state
The Royal Father who is also the President Kogi State Traditional Council made the call when the Managing Director of HYPPADEC, Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq Yelwa led his management team on a courtesy visit to his palace in Idah on Tuesday.
The team which was on a tour of the six most affected Local Government Areas by the 2022 flooding, was out to meet the affected communities members to appraise the Commission’s interventions.
The Commission also planned to use the opportunity to seek better ways of mitigating possible effects of 2023 flood which according to NiMET, may surpass that of last year.
The Atta-Igala said the 2022 flood was devastating as it destroyed a lot of communities’ sources of livelihood and left a lot of health issues on its trail adding that the facilities on ground could not cope with the health demands.
Oguche-Akpa II commended HYPPADEC for its intervention so far saying, “In the short time that I have been here as Atta-Igala, I have seen your handwriting and signatures on walls around here.
“With your team you did marvelous job alleviating hardship and providing succour to affected communities during last year (2022) flooding in Kogi state.
“You’ve done a lot for us but we still need more. We want you to upgrade our health Care facilities especially, the Idah General Hospital. Do this for us and we will be very grateful.
“Four Local Governments, Ibaji, Idah, Igalamela and Ofu, depend on the Idah General hospital. Flood has ravaged everywhere here and nowhere is spared, no clean drinking water”, he said.
The Atta-Igala also urged the Commission to critically look into the issue of Ibaji road where the flood destroyed farmlands, crops and completely cut off 67 communities from civilisation.
Responding, the Managing Director of HYPPADEC Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq Yelwa said there was need to be proactive and heed the weather forecast for 2023 as released by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET) to prevent human, economic and environmental catastrophe.
The Managing Director who also hold the traditional title of Katukan Yauri, said it was against this backdrop that the Commission was being proactive as he promised to look into the health facilities issue.
Hee pledged to redouble the Commission’s medical outreach programme this year.
“We have studied the situation in Ibaji and we are trying to see what we can do to improve movement of the communities.
We also trying to intervene in renovating some of the schools there.
“And of course there are some existing intervention demands you have forwarded to the Commission that are not limited to ibaji but all the affected communities in Kogi state” Yelwa said.
The Managing Director however implored the paramount ruler and communities in his domain to be patient with the Commission saying, “It is very very difficult for us to deliver on our mandate to all the communities at once.
“We have 1,808 communities requesting our interventions. But we will continue to do our best and with your prayers, we are confident that we will achieve the desired goals”, he said.
Highlight of the visit was the conferment of Chieftiancy title of “Abeneche Atta-Igala” (Atta’s confidant and helper) on the Managing Director with his official turbaning by HRM Oguche-Akpa II. (Ends)