By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed concern over the heavy floods that took six lives and submerged farmlands and houses in communities in Kebbi State.
The flood also destroyed farm produce and personal belongings.
Buhari said he is particularly sad over the incident because it is a setback to efforts to boost local rice production as part of measures to stop food importation.
“Kebbi State is the focal point of our policy to produce rice locally as part of this administration’s commitment to agricultural revival which suffered relative neglect in favour of food importation,” he said.
“With the loss of six lives and still counting; thousands of hectares of land flooded and estimated economic losses of more than one billion Naira by rice farmers in Kebbi State, we face a major setback in our efforts to boost local food production.
“This bad news couldn’t have come at a worse time for our farmers and other Nigerians who looked forward to a bumper harvest this year in order to reduce the current astronomical rise in the costs of food items in the markets.”
A statement Buhari issued through his Media Assistant, Garba Shehu, sympathised with the bereaved families and farmers and promised to work closely with the Kebbi State government to bring relief to them.