(MONDAY EDITORIAL)
Beyond political or party lines, the distinguished personalities Aminu Sani Jaji and Sen. Abdulaziz Abubakar Yari are holding the sharp knife that can be used in securing adequate funding to support measures that can guards against flooding in most of the areas around Zamfara State.
Aminu Jaji is currently the Chairman of the house committee on ecological funds, and we all know what ecological funding stands for when the idea was initiated
The Ecological fund is an intervention Fund by the Federal Government of Nigeria to address the multifarious ecological challenges in various communities across the Country.
As Chairman of the fund, he has the power to push for special release for Zamfara State, especially with emphasis on special scenarios and incidences that can justify the release of the funds for the state.
What he needs is to establish strong collaboration with the state government of Zamfara to come up with indices and measures planned to address strategies like embankment of dangerous waterways’ construction of mega drainages, and relocation of communities that are considered dangerous to frequent flooding.
As for Senator Yari he is the Chairman Senate committee on Water Resources, and he has an opportunity of secure more than enough funds to support curving of many waterways and convert them into dams.
Wise men say whatever has advantage must have disadvantage and many local government areas that are exposed to flooding year in year out can be supported by the federal government through creation of mega and mini dams to enhance agriculture, particularly irrigation.
Again, the Senator through his committee can initiate strategies aimed supporting other ideas of strengthening states to building more waterways mega drainages again as well as relocation of the victim’s community.
All these can be achieved if the two distinguished personalities can call for synergy with the state government through it’s short and long-term plans.
The problem with Zamfara political elites is that they always view things from a political standpoint and refuse Zamfara it’s deserving privileges simply because of political party differences.
Ecological funding, for instance, has been one of the Federal government interventions which Zamfara has not been able to tap for of the state.
It is not because we do not have essential sealing at the ecological funds’ headquarters, but because we have not made it serious to tap our share to develop strategies of managing ecological crises.
The time for these personalities, Hon. Aminu Sani Jaji and Abdulaziz Yari is now, and the state government should also strike the deals with these personalities to tap the best of the opportunities for the state.
