Could I say, first, how saddened I am about the flood in Gashua, Yobe state. These are not times we will remember fondly. There are very few people that are unaffected, directly or indirectly, by this flood. I extend my heartfelt sympathies to the victims of this flood. My prayers are with you in this incredibly trying times. May you be kept strong. Let us not give in to these challenging times. Undoubtedly, the flood has devasted thousands of people. But the fact that this tragedy has brought the whole of Gashua together is something that gladdens the heart. In a way, it has brought Gashua together like nothing I’ve seen before.
The flood has washed away more than 100 houses! But it has not washed away the hope in your heart. Worthy of mention is the brotherhood that is still being displayed by the people of Gashua. The people proved to be like different body parts which answer the distress call of an ailing part. I pray to God to allow the brotherhood that is still being displayed to outlive these trying times. We, the people of Gashua, have not seen this type of flood in living memory, we pray and hope that we’ll not see it again. If there’s one good thing from this flood, it’s the fact that it has strengthen our brotherhood.
I will not close without commending the emir of Gashua. The emir was seen inspecting the devastation by the flood in a locally-made boat. The emir has proven time and time again to be a leader who leads by example. Not long ago, the emir was seen donating blood on the occasion of the Blood Donor Day. May Allah safeguard him. The Hausa say: “Barewa ba za tayi gudu, danta yayi rarrafe ba.” Hon Aji Sulaiman was seen carrying a bag of sand on his head. For those that don’t know him, he is a prince and the former chairman of Bade! “To command is to serve, nothing more and nothing less,” said Andre Malraux.
Finally, I want to commend the Yobe state government for its response. But more importantly, I will call on it to put preventive measures in place against future occurrence. There is large swathes of land that are prone to flood. The job of the government should be to foresee likely occurrence of floods and nip it in the bud.
Hamza Muhammad Tasiu,
Gashua, Yobe state
