From Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, (SAN) has visited Kebbi State to commiserate with the people of the State over the incident of boat mishap in the state.
Malami who visited the affected communities also paid a sympathy visit to Kebbi State Governor, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu on Sunday at the Government House in Birnin-Kebbi.
While speaking at the Government House, Birnin Kebbi, Malami disclosed that President Muhammadu Buhari has called the Kebbi State Governor and the Emir of Gwandu to commiserate with the people over the incident.
Malami said : “the Federal Government of Nigeria has directed multi-faceted inter-agency collaboration while advancing safety measure approaches to bring to an end re-occurance of boat mishap in the country.”.
The AGF,during his visit to Warrah in Ngaski Local government area of the state ,expressed the condolence of the Federal Government to the people of the area over death of many indigene of the town in a boat mishap.
“On behalf of the Federal Government and indeed the Government of President Muhammadu Buhari, let me express deep and sincere sympathy of the Government of the Federation of Nigeria to the people of Warra, Ngaski Local Government and Kebbi State Government over this unfortunate incidence,” Malami said.
Malami who was visibly shocked and could not hold back his tears when he visited the site of the calamity as more dead people were being evacuated, said, Federal Government will certainly work with the Kebbi State Government to bring about institutional arrangements to eliminate reoccurrences of such incidents.
He said that there was the need for mutual collaboration among Nigerian Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Nigerian Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC) to address the incidence.
He said it was out of the desire to address related issues that led the Federal Government to establish Hydroelectric Power Producing Area Development Communication (HYPPADEC).
Malami through his Non Governmental organisation of Khadimiyya Initiative for Justice and Development also donated bags of rice to each of the affected families and two million naira for them.