By Seyi Odewale
Kano State Governor, Alhaji Abba Yusuf, has disbursed over N600m to residents of Bulbula and Gayawa who were affected by the ongoing Erosion Control Project.
A statement released yesterday by the Governor’s Spokesperson, Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, said that the disbursement was organised by the Kano State Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (Kano-ACReSAL), under the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change.
The event took place at the Coronation Hall, Government House, in Kano.
According to the statement, the project involves the construction of reinforced concrete channels, bioremediation buffers, and other robust erosion control infrastructure.
This initiative aims to reclaim degraded land and restore safety to the affected areas. It is being executed through a collaboration between the state and federal governments, with support from the World Bank.
The statement further elaborated that the project will strengthen surveillance through community vigilantes’ engagement and the installation of solar streetlights to deter criminal activity that previously thrived in the abandoned gully area.
In his address, Governor Yusuf stated, “Today marks a significant step forward in our collective journey to restore dignity, security, and prosperity to the communities of Bulbula and Gayawa.”
He continued, “I am deeply honoured to be here to personally present compensation cheques to the Project Affected Persons (PAPS) under the Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) for the Bulbula-Gayawa Erosion Control Project in Nasarawa and Ungogo Local Government Areas.”
The Governor urged the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the funds, emphasising, “Every cheque presented today is a message that the government of Abba Gida-Gida stands with its people, especially during times of hardship and displacement.”
“The compensation being disbursed today is based on thorough enumeration, community engagement, and due diligence. Our approach ensures that every affected citizen is recognised, documented, and fairly treated by global best practices,” he assured.
Yusuf lamented, “The Bulbula-Gayawa erosion menace has brought untold hardship to many. It has claimed farmlands, damaged homes, displaced families, and turned once-thriving neighbourhoods into unsafe zones.”
The Governor pledged his administration’s continued support throughout the project’s lifecycle, reiterating that no community would be left behind in the development process.
Yusuf expressed his appreciation to the implementation team under the ACReSAL Project, traditional rulers, community representatives, and relevant stakeholders for their transparency, professionalism, and relentless efforts in ensuring the successful compensation exercise.
The Commissioner of Environment and Climate Change and Chairman of the Steering Committee for the Kano State Project Coordinator, ACReSAL, Dr Dahiru Hashim, affirmed that the present administration under Governor Yusuf is committed to addressing the erosion problems devastating communities across the state.
The Commissioner commended the World Bank, the federal, and the state governments for providing sufficient funds to compensate the affected people.
Some beneficiaries, Jibril Abdullahi Jibril and Fatima Haruna, expressed gratitude to the state government for the intervention. They recalled years of advocating for the project, which had been unsuccessful until the present administration took action.
