By Ijeoma Obioma in Makurdi.
The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Professor Joseph Utsev, has disclosed federal government’s commitment to providing water across the country.
Utsev, who represented the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, during the commissioning and handing over of the Idye River basin erosion control hydraulic drainage project.in Makurdi said that the federal government would in no distant time construct dams across the country to mitigate the devastating effects of flooding.
The project was handled by the National Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission. (N-HYPPADEC).
The minister said, “Water is life; that is why, in the Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, we are building dams across the country, and Benue is not left out.
“We are also providing water infrastructure across all of Nigeria, and the president is building a Nigeria where everyone is involved.
While acknowledging N HYPPADEC’s dedication to reversing environmental degradation and promoting sustainable community development in Nigeria’s power-producing areas, he said that the project being commissioned represents an important step towards taming the challenge of flooding in Makurdi metropolis.
He said that the objective of the agency was in alignment with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision of an industrialised and developed country where the nation’s hydropower dams can generate adequate electricity without compromising the living standards of the local populations inhabiting the power-producing areas.
“This flood control project, which we are here to commission today, is only one of the early steps taken by the Commission towards reversing ecological degradation and promoting sustainable developments in riverine communities across the country,” he added.
Earlier, the governor of the state,Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, regretted that the geographical location and climate condition of the state made Benue susceptible to seasonal flooding and erosion.
Alia, who was represented by his deputy, Sam Ode, said: “These environmental challenges threaten not only our agricultural productivity but also the safety and livelihoods of our people.
“In this context, the Idye flood control/dyke project is not just a necessity but a beacon of hope for our countries.
Also, the Managing Director of N-HYPPADEC, Abubakar Yelwa, who decried the devastating effects of flooding, said that 18,349 houses and farmlands were destroyed, while a total of 134,797 people were displaced in 2022.
He said:“For years, the residents of Makurdi and other parts of Benue State have endured annual flooding that has consumed thousands of homes and farmlands, displacing numerous families.
“The 2022 Benue floods were even more tragic. In 2022, the Benue State Emergency Management Agency reported that the floods consumed about 18,349 houses and farmlands, displacing a total of 134,797 people.
“This staggering impact shows the urgent need to take decisive action to safeguard the communities and livelihoods of people in the state.
“Successive governments at both federal and state levels have made frantic efforts to manage this crisis and mitigate its impact on people and the environment.
Yelwa said that the Federal Government had spent approximately N1.2 billion on the project, including additional excavation of 2.5 km aimed at salvaging the lower basin of the community.
Edited by Dawud Ahmed.
