The presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) and former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso has sent his condolences to the families of the victims of boat mishap in Anambra State, which left 76 people dead.
Speaking via his Twitter handle on Monday, Kwankwaso, also a former defence minister, said “I received with sadness the news of the boat accident in Anambra state, in which dozens of people were killed.
“The boat reportedly carrying 85 persons capsized following rising floods in Ogbaru area of the State, with emergency bodies confirming a death toll of 76.
“This tragedy occurred when more than 4,000 hectares of Olam Rice Farm and Mills in Nasarawa State was destroyed by floods. And when the gridlock on the Lokoja-Abuja highway has worsened.
“There’s no gainsaying that these tragedies will have an implication on Nigeria’s food security. And we have started seeing their instant impact, with the fuel queues that have started forming in Northern parts of the country.
“This is no time for the The Nigeria Hydrological Services (NIHSA), and the state and local governments to trade blames. We must find ways to help those in need, in Ogbaru, Lokoja, Nasarrawa and every part of the country.
“While working on ways to prevent any future disasters. I urge the Nigerian and Cameroonian governments to reevaluate their policy on the waterways that exist between the two countries, especially the Lagdo Dam.
“The Federal and State Governments must also work on building more dams in Nigeria, while re-opening the existing ones and finding ways to make the best use of them. I sympathize with all the victims of these tragedies, and I pray that those we’ve lost rest in peace.”
