By Haruna Salami
The Senate at plenary on Tuesday has called on the Federal Government to revisit the construction of Dasin Hausa Dam to mitigate the effects of flood as a result of water released from Lagdo Dam in Cameroon.
Construction of Dasin Hausa Dam in Adamawa state, which has remained on the drawing board was conceptualised to serve as a buffer dam to mitigate the effects of excess water released from Lagdo Dam in Cameroon.
Therefore, the Senate urged the Federal Government to make budgetary provisions for project starting with the 2024 Federal Budget.
The floods that affect many Nigerian states annually is mainly occecerated by the release of excess water from the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon.
Senator Binos Yaroe (Adamawa South) moved a motion on “urgent need to address the recurring issue of flood-induced damages caused by the willful release of water from the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon: The Need for a permanent solution to the problem and restitution for the communities ravaged by the phenomena”.
The motion was co-sponsored by 16 other senators received overwhelming support from all the senators present at Tuesday’s plenary.
Therefore, the Senate urged the Federal 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 in order to protect farmlands, infrastructure and downstream communities in the Benue trough.
In addition the upper chamber called on the Federal Government, through the Inland Waterways Authority, to dredge the River Benue from Makurdi all the way to Lagdo Dam (in cooperation with the Republic of Cameron).
Earlier, the Senate recalled the recent announcement by the Director-General of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) that recent release of water by Lagdo Dam in Camerron will cause more flood disaster downstream the Benue River, which will affect eight states, i.e. Adamawa. Taraba, Benue, Kogi, Anambra. Edo, Delta and Bayelsa states.
