| Gusau Dam | |
|---|---|
| Country | Nigeria |
The Gusau Dam holds a reservoir on the Sokoto River just upstream from Gusau, capital of Zamfara State in Nigeria. It supplies water to the city and neighboring communities. In 2006, the dam collapsed, killing 40 people and destroying 500 homes. [1]
The dam was insufficient to meet local needs in times of drought. In January 2001, the Zamfara State Governor, Ahmed Sani Yerima met the federal minister of Water Resources, Mohammed Bello Kaliel and told him that Gusau Dam could dry up soon, asking the Federal Government to transfer water from the Bakolori Dam to Gusau. Kaliel said the Federal Government was committed to provide quality water to all Nigerians and would soon provide assistance to the states, with priority given to Gusau. [2]
In June 2002, two groups in Zamfara State petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), alleging that Ahmed Sani Yerima had mismanaged and misappropriated Federal funds. The state government had made claims for improvement, dredging and repairs of a collapsed portion of the Gusau barrage at the cost of #14.2 million, resuscitation of the Barrage at #92million and de-siting of the Gusau Dam Barrage at #1.8 million. However, nothing appreciable had been done. [3]
A disaster occurred on Saturday, September 30, 2006, when the dam collapsed after heavy flooding. 40 people were killed and approximately 500 homes were destroyed, displacing 1,000 people. [4] It occurred after the heaviest downpour ever recorded in the area, which had fallen for the previous two days. In addition to lost and damaged houses, large amounts of farmland that was almost due to be harvested was devastated and hundreds of livestock were killed. As well as the dam, a bridge linking the city to the northern part of Zamfara State was destroyed. Around 700 people were temporarily sheltered in a nearby secondary school in Birnin Ruwa area, where assistance was provided by the Red Cross. Drinking water wells were polluted by the floodwater. The accident occurred after sluice gates failed to function, causing the water to overwhelm the dam, says the operator, the Zamfara Water Board. [5] [6]
After the dam collapse, many residents had to resort to stream water. Water vendors more than doubled their price, selling a 25-litre Jerry can for N50 compared to N20 before. [7]
In March 2007, the Federal government released #2.4 billion for the rehabilitation of the Gusau dam. [7] In May 2007, the Zamfara state government said they were giving top priority to ensuring that water was retained in the dam, rehabilitating the water treatment plant, introducing modern equipment at the pumping stations, and developing the distribution network. [8]
In January 2010, a Zamfara-based group called Concerned Citizens petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the former Governor of Zamfara state, Ahmad Sani Yarima, for mismanagement of funds, including an N1 billion loan for Gusau dam repairs. [9]
Katsina State is a state in the northwestern geopolitical zone of Nigeria. Katsina State borders on the Republic of Niger to the north for 250 km and the States of Jigawa for 164 km and Kano to the east, Kaduna to the south for 161 km and Zamfara to the west. States. Nicknamed the "Home of Hospitality", both the state capital and the town of Daura have been described "ancient seats of Islamic culture and learning" in Nigeria.
Zamfara is a state in northwestern Nigeria. The capital of Zamfara state is Gusau and its current governor is Dauda Lawal. Until 1996, the area was part of Sokoto State.
The city of Gusau, located in northwestern Nigeria, is the capital of Zamfara State. It is also the name of the state's Local Government Area (LGA), which has an area of 3,364 km (2,090 mi)² and a population of 383,162 as of the 2006 census.
Boni Haruna is a Nigerian politician who served as Minister for Youth Development of Nigeria from 2014 to 2015. He previously served as governor of Adamawa State from 1999 to 2007. He was a member of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party.
Abubakar Bukola SarakiMBBS is a Nigerian politician who served as the 13th president of the Nigerian Senate from 2015 to 2019. He previously served as the governor of Kwara State from 2003 to 2011; and was elected to the Senate in 2011, under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), representing the Kwara Central Senatorial District, and then re-elected in the 2015 general elections under the party of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Sule Lamido was born on served as Foreign Affairs Minister of Nigeria from 1999 to 2003. He was elected governor of Jigawa State in April 2007. He is a member of the former ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP). He ran successfully for reelection on 26 April 2011. In 2015 he and his sons were put on trial for embezzling state funds by the EFCC.
The Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), is a Nigerian agency that was inaugurated on 29 September 2000 following the recommendation of President Olusegun Obasanjo. The mandate is to receive and investigate reports of corruption and in appropriate cases prosecute the offender(s), to examine, review and enforce the correction of corruption prone systems and procedures of public bodies, with a view to eliminating corruption in public life, and to educate and enlighten the public on and against corruption and related offences with a view to enlisting and fostering public support for the fight against corruption. The Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Act 2000 governs the committee's activities.
Malam Yahaya Abdulkarim is a Nigerian politician who was governor of Sokoto State, between January 1992 and November 1993, during General Ibrahim Babangida's attempted transition to democracy. After the return to democracy in 1999, he became a power in the Zamfara State branch of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), and served for a while in the cabinet of president Olusegun Obasanjo.
Mohammed Bello Kaliel was a Nigerian Army Colonel and the first Governor of Bauchi State, Nigeria after it was created on 3 February 1976 when North-Eastern State was divided into Bauchi, Borno, and Gongola states, during the military regime of General Olusegun Obasanjo. He held office until July 1978.
Ahmed Rufai Sani Yerima is a Nigerian politician who was Governor of Zamfara State from May 1999 to May 2007, and served as Senator for Zamfara West and Deputy Minority Leader in the Senate. He is a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed is Nigerian politician who has served as governor of Bauchi State since 2019. Prior to becoming governor of Bauchi State, he was minister of the Federal Capital Territory from 2010 to 2015, and Senator for Bauchi South from 2007 to 2010. He is a ranking member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party.
Colonel (retired) Jibril Bala Yakubu was the first Administrator of Zamfara State after it was created from part of Sokoto State in October 1996, holding office until the return to democracy in May 1999 during the military regimes of Generals Sani Abacha and Abdulsalami Abubakar. As Zamfara administrator, Yakubu created five Emirates in the state and eleven new District Councils. After handing over to the civilian governor Ahmed Sani Yerima in May 1999, as a former military administrator he was required to retire from the army.
Alhaji Yushau Mohammed Anka was elected Senator for the Zamfara West constituency of Zamfara State, Nigeria at the start of the Nigerian Fourth Republic, running on the People's Democratic Party (PDP) platform. He held office from May 1999 to May 2007.
Alhaji Abdul'aziz Abubakar Yari is a Nigerian politician who was elected Governor of Zamfara State in the 26 April 2011 national elections, running on the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) platform. Following the merger of the ANPP and several other opposition parties into the now-governing All Progressives Congress, Yari became a member of the All Progressives Congress.
Bello Muhammad popularly known as Bello Matawalle is a Nigerian politician and teacher who has served as the minister of state for defence since 2023. He previously served as the governor of Zamfara State from 2019 to 2023.
The 2019 Zamfara State gubernatorial election occurred on 9 March 2019. APC's Mukhtar Shehu Idris polled 67.41% of the total popular votes, defeating PDP's Bello Matawalle who got 23.89% of the total votes and trailed behind by a margin of 345,089 votes, and several minor party candidates. APC swept the entire 14 LGAs of the state, winning in all. It was, however, Matawalle, who was later declared winner by the INEC and sworn in as governor after the verdict of the Supreme Court, which declared Idris' votes as 'wasted'.
The 2023 Zamfara State gubernatorial election will take place on 18 March 2023, to elect the Governor of Zamfara State, concurrent with elections to the Zamfara State House of Assembly as well as twenty-seven other gubernatorial elections and elections to all other state houses of assembly. The election—which was postponed from its original 11 March date—was held three weeks after the presidential election and National Assembly elections. Incumbent APC Governor Bello Matawalle has been renominated by his party and was defeated by Dauda Lawal of PDP on 18th of March 2023.
The 2011 Nigerian Senate election in Zamfara State was held on April 11, 2011, to elect members of the Nigerian Senate to represent Zamfara State. Kabir Garba Marafa representing Zamfara Central won on the platform of All Nigeria Peoples Party, while Sahabi Yau representing Zamfara North and Ahmad Sani Yerima representing Zamfara West both won on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party.
The 2019 Zamfara State House of Assembly election was held on March 9, 2019, to elect members of the Zamfara State House of Assembly in Nigeria. All the 24 seats were up for election in the Zamfara State House of Assembly.
The 2023 Nigerian Senate elections in Zamfara State will be held on 25 February 2023, to elect the 3 federal Senators from Zamfara State, one from each of the state's three senatorial districts. The elections will coincide with the 2023 presidential election, as well as other elections to the Senate and elections to the House of Representatives; with state elections being held two weeks later. Primaries were held between 4 April and 9 June 2022.