Misau Community Cry For Govt Intervention As Flood Damages Houses, farmlands

By Mohammed Kaka Misau, Bauchi
Residents of Misau local government area of Bauchi state have appealed to the Bauchi state government for intervention following a flood that caused heavy devastation to their houses and farmlands.
Narrating his ordeal in an interview with our Corresspondent, a resident of Misau town, Yakubu Mustapha said that the disaster has left them counting loses and are in serious need for help.
“What you are seeing here is as a result of the flood that occurred in which houses and farmlands were affected”, Mustapha who resides in Gundari bye-pass in Misau local government area of Bauchi state said.
“And like you are seeing, this portion of land from here down there is a rice farm and the flood brought in sand that covered all of it, thank God I have taken you round and you have seen the level of devastation”.

Mustapha said while pointing at a rice farm for our correspondent to see for himself.
According to him, about or over 200 farmlands have been submerged by the flood, adding that a portion of road within Misau town was also washed out.
“We the people of Gundari bye-pass in Misau have been suffering due to the flood. As you can see, this road from Gundari bye-pass that passes through Misau town to college of Education legal and General studies to Azare, around that (JIBWIS) Juma’at mosque, he said.
Mustapha who said that flood affected some households, pleaded with Governor Bala Mohammed to assist them fixed the washed out road to enable them have easy access to various places around the community.
Another resident, Mal. Ali, said that the Communities affected by flood include Zadawa, zindi Tumfure, Jajalwo and Gadan Kari, all in Misau local government area of Bauchi state.

Popularly known as Allah Gatan Kowa, Ali noted that the water which caused the flooding submerged the Bridge along Kano to Kari road, adding that the situation has subjected them to serious hardship that requires emergency intervention from government And NGOs.

Some residents leaving within Zindi told our Correspondent that they have never seen such type flood before.
On his part, the Executive Chairman of Misau local government, Alhaji.. said issues of flooding has become a global one and as such, requires a holistic approach to mitigating it.
According to him, authorities have been warning people to avoid erecting structures on waterways so as to escape dangera of flooding.
“Building houses on waterways has become a norm by some people despite been warned about it, we all need to be cautious about it”, he admonished. 
“The place has been existing for the past 46 years, it used to be like a carnal that passes right from river Hadeja. Hadeja/Jamaare came with their intervention to build a wall around the river which has really helped us over the years but unfortunately the project has not been completed and that’s why this happened that let to the cut off of the road”, the LG Chairman said.
The Chairman who said that the local government under his watch has reported the matter to the state government for intervention, expressed optimisms that Governor Bala Mohammed will swiftly act on the report upon seeing it.
He appealed to the people of Misau and the state in general to refrain from building on waterways in order to avoid future occurrence, adding that his council has also written a letter to Hadeja/Jamaare who started the building of the wall around the river.
“We have written to them and have included pictorials, showing the areas affected by the flood so that they will come and complete the project they started”, he said.