...Seeks more funding for communities

The Managing Director of the Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC), Abubakar Sadiq Yelwa, has commended the Federal Government for approving N80 billion to mitigate the impact of flooding in vulnerable communities.

 

He described the intervention as a proactive step, while seeking more funds for effective control and address of the looming challenge.

Yelwa commended the federal government while fielding questions from journalists in llorin after the commission’s quarterly management meeting, where top officials reviewed ongoing projects, assessed programmes implementations and discussed strategies for improving service delivery across member states.

He said that the quarterly meeting offers opportunity for management to evaluate the performance of various departments and divisions, identify operational challenges and receive feedback from field offices to strengthen project implementation.

According to him, “HYPPADEC has sustained annual flood preparedness campaign by embarking on early sensitisation programmes several months before the onset of the rainy season in flood-prone communities.

“We work closely with state governments, traditional institutions and the media to educate residents on impending flood risks and encourage those living in vulnerable areas to relocate to safer locations,” Yelwa disclosed

He said that the HYPPADEC has also started constructing resettlement houses in some communities to accommodate residents expected to be severely hit by flooding.

He lauded the approval of N80 billion by the National Economic Council (NEC) to tackle expected floods in Nigeria, describing it as the first major proactive intervention by the Federal Government in recent years.

“The amount may not be sufficient considering the magnitude of the challenge, but it is better to begin than to do nothing at all. I commend President Bola Tinubu and the Federal Government for taking this initiative and I hope additional resources will be made available to further protect vulnerable communities,” he said.

He, however maintained that HYPPADEC has continued to fulfil its statutory mandate despite significant financial constraints.

He lamented that the Commission is yet to fully access its statutory funding, particularly the 10 per cent revenue from power generation, noting that its operations are currently sustained mainly through federal budgetary allocations and contributions from member states.

According to him, the consistent financial support from member states has enabled the Commission to continue implementing critical development projects across its areas of operation.

Speaking on the Commission’s enforcement of the “No Work, No Pay” policy, Yelwa said the measure is to promote discipline and accountability in the public service.

He stressed that staff members who absent themselves from duty without valid justification should not expect to receive salaries while their colleagues continue to discharge their responsibilities.

Looking ahead, the HYPPADEC boss assured member states of improved project delivery, stronger collaboration with state governments and increased stakeholder engagement.

He explained that the Commission intends to deepen partnerships with state governments through joint funding arrangements and, where necessary, involve beneficiary communities in financing selected projects to encourage ownership, sustainability and proper maintenance of public infrastructure.

The quarterly management meeting brought together directors and senior officials of the Commission to review ongoing programmes, address operational challenges and map out strategies for more effective project implementation across HYPPADEC’s member states.