Lagbo Dam Not Responsible For Massive Flooding In Nigeria, Says FG
THE Federal Government on Wednesday, October 19, clarified that, contrary to the widely held insinuation, release of water from the Lagbo Dam in Cameroun was not responsible for the flooding currently ravaging many parts of the country,
The Minister of Water Resources, Mr. Suleiman Adamu, speaking while defending next year’s budget of his ministry before the Senate Committee on Water Resources, explained that most of the water that caused flooding was not from the Lagbo Dam, as the contribution from the dam to Nigeria was only one per cent.
He stated: “The dam releases water; sometimes it releases water without notice and when they do that, it impacts on communities downstream. It is not the main reason you have flood in this country; the tributaries of River Benue are the main cause. And this year, the rains have been unprecedented.
“The trans-boundary waters that even come into this country from Rivers Niger and Benue constitute only 20 per cent of the fresh water that flows into the country. Eighty per cent of the flood is water we are blessed with from the sky falling on Mambila and Jos Plateau. Most of this flow is from Nigeria.”
Adamu disclosed that the Federal Government was not informed by the Camerounian Government on the yearly release of water from Lagbo Dam, adding: “It took a lot of effort from us for them to sign a MoU for them to be informing Nigeria about releases.
“It was signed in 2016 and since then, every year, when the flood season comes, it is the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency that calls them to know their level of water.
“We cannot blame the flood this year on Cameroun; we can only blame them for violating the terms of the MoU.”
He further said the government would call for a review of the MoU to abate the flood.
On the Dasin Hausa Dam in Adamawa State that could serve as a solution to flooding, Adamu said: “Whether we are able to do the dam or not, we will continue to have floods on the Rivers Niger and Benue Basins.
“There was a consultant that had been appointed by the previous administration to work on this dam. When I came into office, I checked the scope of work and the terms of reference. I was not satisfied that justice will be done to that design. You cannot build a dam as important and strategic as Dasin Hausa on River Benue without a detailed feasibility and engineering design.
“I disengaged the consultant in 2016. It was one of the 116 projects that we had. In our roadmap, we made a decision that going forward, we have enough dams, 37 ongoing. We cannot take any new dam, let’s complete what is ongoing.
“We appointed a consultant to do the required diligent feasibility study and engineering design for the project.”
He expressed optimism that by March next year, the dam would be completed.
Earlier, Chairman of the Committee, Senator Bello Mandiya, urged the ministry to find lasting solution to flooding.
