Benue Govt takes Steps to Avert Flood Tragedy

Anxiety, it appears, is more pronounced and worrisome in Benue State, which is host to River Benue, the second longest river in Nigeria and a tributary of the River Niger. Measuring a length of over 870 miles, the river traverses Nigeria and neighbouring Cameroon.
So, any spike in River Niger would automatically stir up the Benue River to discharge its contents into the nearby communities. This is the biggest fear of the people in Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Adamawa and Taraba.
The fear of Benue people is heightened apparently by the fact that over the years the state has continued to suffer the direct impact of the rise of water levels in the neighbouring Cameroun, necessitating the authorities in that country to release excess water from the Lagdo Dam located 50km south of the city of Garoua into the Benue River.
But in response to the Federal Government’s advice to states to take necessary steps to avert possible disaster by mitigating the impact of the large volume of water from the dam, the Benue State government said it has already placed its people on red alert in flood-prone areas such as Apa, Agatu, Guma, Buruku, Tarka, Kastina-Ala, Logo, Ado, Gwer West, Makurdi local government areas, among others.
It also informed that it has set up the State Technical Committee on Flooding Preparedness and Planning to coordinate activities before, during and after the flood.
The committee is working with the state Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, and several other partners to put its measures in place so as to mitigate the negative impact of imminent flooding.
The Benue State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Frederick Ikyaan, who led the team to some of the locations and sites to get them ready for any eventuality, said the government has taken necessary steps to avert disaster in the state.
Dr. Ikyaan said: “So far what we have on ground is enough to accommodate whatever degree of incidents that we may record as a result of any flood. As a government we are ready to handle the challenge.”
Governor Hyacinth Alia personally assured that everything was being done to ensure the safety of all the citizens through proactive measures being put in place.
The Governor said: “We are prepared to tackle flooding, having carried out adequate sensitisation of riverbank residents.” He, however, pointed out that in spite of warnings, some residents have refused to evacuate the floodplains, but added that the government will persist in appealing to them to move to safer higher grounds.
A resident of Agbohoul, a community in the outskirts of Makurdi town, which is prone to flooding, Mr. Dave Adie, said since the announcement of the release of water from Lagdo Dam they had been on the alert, while many also have made arrangements to relocate to safer areas.
He said: “Some of us are already leaving to stay with relatives in the town and other safe places while some are here monitoring the development. If we notice that we may be submerged we will move out. But for now, we are just monitoring the situation.”

Source: vanguardngr.com

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