The Home of Representatives on Tuesday urged the Federal Authorities to handle the frequent flooding occasioned by the opening of the Lagdo dam, located in northern Cameroon.
The decision of the Home adopted the adoption of a movement of pressing public significance on the “Want to research the recurrent flooding as a result of opening of the Lagdo Dam, sponsored by the Minority Chief, Kingsley Chinda.
Rallying his colleagues to assist the movement, Chinda recalled that the Lagdo Dam inbuilt 1982 primarily for irrigation and electrical energy technology, “Launch extra water to forestall overflow, which inevitably flows downstream into Nigeria, inflicting important flooding in states alongside the river, together with Borno, Adamawa, Benue, Taraba, Kogi, and past.”
He added that the recurrent lack of lives, displacement of communities, destruction of farmlands, livestock, and houses, and harm to crucial infrastructure, comparable to roads, bridges, faculties, and healthcare amenities, is a supply of concern to Nigeria.
He mentioned, “Regardless of early warnings by the Nigerian authorities concerning the launch of water from the Lagdo Dam, many communities stay unprepared and are left weak to the devastating impacts of the floods.”
“Whereas the development of a buffer dam, the proposed Dasin Hausa Dam in Adamawa State, was agreed upon in precept between Nigeria and Cameroon to assist comprise the surplus water from the Lagdo Dam, this challenge has remained stalled for years as a consequence of funding and bureaucratic delays.
“There may be an pressing want for the Federal Authorities to develop long-term options to mitigate the affect of the annual flooding and to guard weak communities alongside the River Benue and Niger basins.
“Until swift actions are taken to have interaction related stakeholders, each inside and outdoors Nigeria, to mitigate these annual disasters and to offer lasting options for affected communities, the scenario will persist yearly with every year worse than the previous, thus diminishing the boldness of the folks within the leaders.”
Consequently, the Home mandated the Nigerian/Cameroon Friendship Group to research the Nigerian/Cameroon association/settlement on the Lagdo dam and mitigation measures therein and advise the Home inside two weeks for additional legislative motion.
It additionally directed the Federal Ministries of Water Sources and Works to expedite the completion of the Dasin Hausa Dam in Adamawa State, which is able to act as a buffer and assist take in extra water launched from the Lagdo Dam.
It additional mandated the Nationwide Emergency Administration Company in collaboration with State Emergency Administration Businesses to henceforth improve early warning techniques and enhance evacuation and reduction efforts for communities in flood-prone areas earlier than the occasion.