Presidential panel embarks on flood control fact-finding in North-East
The presidential committee on flood prevention is visiting Adamawa and Taraba states to evaluate and make recommendations on measures the government can take to prevent and mitigate disasters caused by floods in the area.
The Punch Newspaper reports that the committee on Wednesday visited the abandoned Dasin Hausa buffer dam, located in Adamawa. It is expected to proceed to Taraba after its two-day fact-finding mission to Adamawa.
The committee’s visit to Adamawa also raised hope over the construction of the buffer dam in Dasin Hausa by the Federal Government as a response to the destruction caused by the release of excess water from Lagdo Dam in the republic of Cameroon.
The Director of Dams, in the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Ali Dallah, who led the committee on the inspection of the dam received the request of the Adamawa State government, which called on the Federal Government to re-award the contract for the completion of construction of the buffer dam to prevent flood disaster.
The Executive Secretary, Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency, Suleiman Muhammad, told journalists that the state government made two key recommendations, namely the construction buffer dam in Dasin Hausa and the dredging of River Benue.
He said, “We looked at how the flood is going to be prevented in our interaction with the committee.
“First of all, we have identified that there was a proposal for a buffer dam at Dasin Hausa, which was visited by the committee. Definitely, when this dam is constructed, it will take whatever excess water that is going to be released from Lagdo Dam.
The committee has made it one of their recommendations to Mr President. The mere fact that the administration came up with the flood prevention committee meant Mr President is ready for business. And because of that, we have high hopes.”
According to Muhammad, the disaster from the last floodings occasioned by the release of water from Lagdo Dam claimed 58 lives and led to the destruction of over 2,000 houses and the displacement of over 180,000 persons from their homes.
Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari in November 2022 inaugurated a presidential committee saddled with the development of a comprehensive action plan for preventing flood disasters in the country.
The president had mandated the Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, to fashion out ways of preventing flood disasters in Nigeria within 90 days.
