The Nigerian Senate has asked the Nigerian Government to construct the Dasin Hausa Dam project to find a permanent solution to the perennial flooding crisis in the country by making budgetary provisions beginning with the 2024 Federal Budget.
To avoid the impending disasters that come along with such a flood crisis, the Lawmakers equally called on the Government through the Inland Waterways Authority to dredge the River Benue, River Niger, and other River tributaries to Lagdo Dam (in cooperation with the Republic of Cameroon).
The Legislators arrived at the decisions in response to a motion presented during plenary titled” Urgent Need to Address the Recurring Issue of Flood-Induced Damages caused by the wilful release of water from the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon” sponsored by Senator Binos Dauda Yaroe, representing Adamawa South, and Co-sponsored by sixteen Senators.
In the course of delivering his lead debate Senator Dauda Yaroe informed his colleagues that a large portion of the land mass of Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, and Kogi States lies within the River Benue trough, which is flooded every rainy season occasioned by natural run-off and discharges mainly from Lagdo dam.
Senator Yaroe brought to the fore the plight of communities located in the aforementioned River Benue plains who engage in the cultivation of different crops both in the wet and dry seasons.
The Adamawa South Lawmaker reminded his colleagues that on September 12, 2023, the Federal Government, through the National Flood Early Warning System, issued a flood alert that some parts of the country may witness heavy rainfall resulting in the rise of the water levels of Rivers Benue and Niger, which may lead to flooding.
Speaking further, Senator Dauda Yaroe told the members of the Hallowed Red Chambers that the frequency and intensity of hydrological hazards such as floods being experienced annually from unregulated releases most especially from Lagdo dam would continue to cause various forms of catastrophic outcomes unless a lasting solution is implemented.
He said; “The discharges of water from Lagdo dam whenever it reaches its critical level often brings about the overflowing of the banks of River Benue inundating flood plains downstream the dam thereby causing great destruction to farmlands, infrastructure and even often resulting in loss of lives. The major reason adducible to this malaise is the low channel capacity of River Benue that will allow it to hold large volume water due to the high degree of siltation of the river.”
Senator Dauda Yaroe stated further that “the aforementioned problems would have been a thing of the past if the River Benue was dredged and appropriate Receptors or Buffer Dams in the Upper Bonus Region of Nigeria were constructed, into which the unregulated discharge from Lagdo dam could be channeled and therefore released gradually to minimise the flooding of the downstream communities.”
“In 2012, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2022, and this year high incidences of flood along the River Benue trough all the way to Bayelsa State severely affected the communities in the States stated above and this year torrential rains and releases at water from Lagdo has severely flooded and submerged many communities and farmlands rendering many families homeless and helpless” Senator Yaroe said.
Contributing to the motion, Senator Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central) bemoaned the continued postponement of the Dam’s construction and urged the Federal Government to a decisive actions on the issue.
On his part, Senator Danjuma Goje (Gombe Central) advocated for the dredging of the River Benue in addition to the construction of the dam.
He said; “My state is also affected, the final solution is to dredge River Benue in addition to the dam. We might not achieve it in a year but we can make budgetary provisions to dredge River Benue.”
Contributing to the motion, Senator Seriake Dickson(Bayelsa West) said his State is always affected by this flooding.
Senator Dickson said; “The entire Bayelsa State is below sea level with no upland. A report says about 7.5 billion dollars in damages were recorded during the recent flooding. Construction of more dams and tributaries will reduce excess flooding in the country.”
The notion that only states at the lower level are affected was dispelled by Senator Diket Plang ( Plateau Central), saying States at the higher level were also affected.
Senator Plang further suggested that dams that are capable of storing water should be constructed so that the water can later be used for other economic purposes.
Senator Abba Moro ( Benue South) on his part emphasised that the dredging of the River Benue would bring a permanent solution to the problem.
He urged the Tinubu-led Nigerian Government to write its name in Gold by taking concrete action to construct the dam.
After the exhaustive debate, the Senate in its resolutions urged the Nigerian Government to intervene, through the Ecological Fund Office, to construct some of the flood prevention structures such as dykes, embankments, levees, and flood measuring devices at key points along the Benue River to protect farmlands, infrastructure and downstream communities in the Benue trough.
The Legislature also called on the National Emergency Management Authority, NEMA, to, in consultation with the flood-affected states urgently carry out a comprehensive assessment of communities affected by flooding to provide them with relief materials.
Mercy Chukwudiebere
