GENERAL
THE Managing Director of Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC), Alhaji Abubakar Yelwa, has called for a law to make life jackets compulsory for boat users in the country.
Yelwa made the appeal on Wednesday in Ilorin while reacting to what he described as the high fatality recorded in Monday’s boat mishap in Patigi, Kwara.
He attributed the death rate to non-usage of the life jackets.
He, therefore, called on the relevant authorities to legislate a law that would make it mandatory for boat passengers across the country to always wear life jackets.
Yelwa equally called for a law to restrain boat operators from operating at night.
He lamented that the N1.6 billion life jackets that HYPPADEC procured in 2022 for the use of boat passengers were not utilised.
The HYPPADEC boss spoke during the flag off of the distribution of the 2023 HYPPADEC subsidised fertilisers for 5,795 farmers in Kwara.
Represented by the Director of Community Services in the agency, Dr Mahmud Umar, he said: “The fatality recorded in the unfortunate boat mishap in Patigi on Monday was due to failure of the boat passengers to use life jackets.
“HYPPADEC spent N1.6 billion on the procurement of life jackets for boat passengers last year.
“If the victims had put on the life jackets, the fatality rate would have been very minimal because a life jacket can keep a victim afloat for at least seven hours and help would have come from villagers within that period.
“I want to call on relevant authorities to legislate a law that will make the use of life jackets compulsory for boat passengers and as well restrain the boat operators from operating at night.
“If the victims had wore life jackets and the accident occurred in the broad day light, the fatality rate would have been very minimal,” Yelwa said.
On the distribution of subsidised fertilisers, Yelwa said: “Ordinary farmers across local communities in the country have always found it very difficult to get access to efficient and affordable fertiliser, which is one of the reasons why the agricultural sector has degenerated over the years,” said the HYPPADEC boss.
He explained that it was for this reason that the commission decided to intervene by making quality fertiliser available to farmers at a cheaper rate.
“This intervention is not just essential but timely because the rate at which population is rapidly increasing in our local communities demands that farmers are given unhindered access to fertiliser in order to keep the production of food crops at pace with the ongoing population explosion.
“Fertiliser helps increase fertility of soil and makes plants resilient against harmful plant pathogens, pests and weeds.
“It also accelerates plant growth. Its significance to agricultural growth can, therefore, not be overemphasised.
“When we started the fertiliser distribution programme in 2022, we distributed over 50,000 bags to thousands of beneficiaries across our member states.
“In each of the over 1,800 communities of the commission, not less than 30 bags were distributed to ordinary farmers with an astounding 60 per cent discount.
“This year, the Commission is set out to distribute 42,328 bags of fertiliser (21,118 bags each for NPK and UREA), to not less than 20 beneficiaries in each community of the Commission at the same 60% discount (N10,000 per each bag).
“For Kwara, 5,795 bags of the subsidised fertiliser would be sold to famers in the affected areas of the commission,” Yelwa said.
Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq said his administration would redouble efforts at ensuring the dredging of River Niger as a last solution to flooding in the riverine areas in the state.
Represented by the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Mr Yakubu Danladi, the governor thanked HYPPADEC for its interest in promoting food production in its catchment areas. (NAN)
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Tags: Alhaji Abubakar Yelwa Dr Mahmud Umar
