The Federal Government has warned the Niger Delta and southern states to be prepared for flooding, and revealed that the recent devastating flood in Maiduguri was caused by the overflow of the Ngadda River, not by the collapse of the Alau Dam as originally thought.
Engineer Joseph Utsev, the minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, made it clear during a press briefing that the Alau Dam, located in Maiduguri, Borno State, is still in good condition. According to him, the flood was a result of the huge inflows from the Ngadda River, which is a major tributary of the River Yedzaram, which engulfed the dam’s dyke.
Utsev and Honourable Bello Goronyo, the Minister of State for Water Resources and Sanitation, visited the areas that were affected by the flooding to assess the damage and convey their concern to the government and people of Borno State.
Utsev expressed his determination to undertake a thorough overhaul and upgrade of the Alau Dam, declaring that it is non-negotiable, and any failure by contractors or officials involved will not be tolerated.
The ministry’s immediate intervention will include the provision of sanitation kits and water treatment facilities to displaced persons, as promised.
According to the Minister, the Ministry’s delayed arrival was because of prior irrigation inspections in the South West, but they assured everyone that the Alau Dam would be given priority.
He said: “We didn’t actually envisage that the level of the water that comes this year it will be of this magnitude because of the climate change, the downpour was in excess, and the rivers could not actually contain the water, and more water that was unexpected was being spilled into Alau Dam, and it has spilled over the dyke.
“There was no collapse of Alau Dam. It was one of the dykes that could not hold excess water that came from the tributaries that overflowed the dam.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria and indeed the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation deeply sympathize with the government and the good people of Borno State on the flood disaster that befell us a few days ago.
“This flood disaster, directly and indirectly affected millions of Nigerians, destroying homes, property, farmlands, roads, critical infrastructure and assets, among others. I identify with you all as we progress to navigate through this difficult time.
“This flood disaster that affected Maiduguri and Jere areas of Borno State was largely due to overflow of water from Alau Dam which is about 10 kilometers from Maiduguri city centre owing to massive inflow from Ngadda river, a major tributary of River Yedzaram.
He warned of severe flooding in the Niger Delta region and other southern states, and therefore, the government and people should take emergency measures to cushionthe impact.
“As we mourn the losses in Borno, Yobe, Jigawa, Bauchi and other states affected by flooding, the attention of Nigerians is hereby drawn to the probable river flooding on rivers Niger and Benue and some of their tributaries. The daily flow on these rivers indicates significant increase in flow levels tending towards RED alert.
“This warning means that a large volume of water is moving through our rivers down to the delta region. Therefore, we should increase vigilance on all ramifications and step up proactive measures to address any eventual flooding events in the southern part of the country”, he said.
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