Date: 2019-10-14

Kwara State government has urged the Federal Government to give special consideration to the state due to ecological challenges confronting it, especially the perennial flooding arising from the overflow of the Rivers Niger and Asa.

"People of Kwara State have suffered greatly from ecological problems linked to yearly overflowing of these rivers, and it is only fair for the state to be considered for special palliatives to fix damaged infrastructure and economic lives of our people and mitigate the effect on the affected communities," Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Isiaka Al-Amin, said at a news briefing in Ilorin yesterday.

The briefing followed a sensitisation tour of flood-prone areas in the state by a committee set up by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, chaired by Al-Amin, to lessen the impact of flooding in the state.

According to Al-Amin, the yearly overflow of the River Niger has cut off communities, destroyed farmlands and displaced thousands of people across the state.

Besides, he canvassed urgent completion of the channelisation of the Asa River to curtail the yearly flooding in the state, especially in Kwara Central.