SGF inaugurates 1.2km flood control drainage in Benue
By Emmanuel Antswen
The Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF) Sen. George Akume has inaugurated the 1.2 kilometers Idye Flood Control/Dyke Project in Makurdi, Benue.
Akume while performing the ceremony on Thursday in Makurdi said President Bola Tinubu was committed to a healthy and green environment for the development of the country.
He said the country was faced with numerous challenges, and the environmental destruction consistently caused by floods and gully erosion was a significant one.
Represented by the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, Akume admitted that even before the establishment of N-HYPPADEC in 2021, environmental problems have been prevalent in most of the communities in the country.
He said N-HYPPADEC was tasked with environmental conservation in the country and has since then put in place the necessary infrastructure to reverse environmental degradation caused by floods and erosion.
“The task of reversing environmental damages caused by floods and erosion over the years is definitely not an easy one. It requires meticulous and long-term planning that should be executed in stages.
“This flood control project which we are here to inaugurate 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.
“Thus, the completion of this project is a significant milestone in the efforts by N-HYPPADEC to mitigate the devastating effects of floods and erosion in Benue,” he said
Akume said the 1.2 kilometer flood control drainage would not only protect the environment and infrastructure but would also safeguard the lives and livelihoods of countless individuals within the state capital.
“This Flood Control/Dyke Project, spanning a distance of 1.2 kilometers, is a shining example of what can be achieved when government agencies, private sector partners and local communities come together with a shared purpose.
“The project will not only protect the environment and infrastructure but will also safeguard the lives and livelihoods of countless individuals who call this region home,” he assured.
In his goodwill message, Gov. Hyacinth Alia commended the Federal Government for construction of the drainage system that would go a long way to mitigate the impact of flood on Makurdi residents.
Represented by his deputy, Sam Ode, Alia said the project stood as a vital solution to the persistent problems of flooding and erosion within Makurdi metropolis.
Earlier, the Managing Director (MD), National Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (N-HYPPADEC) Mr Abubakar Yelwa, said the project cost N1.2 billion.
Yelwa disclosed that the Federal Government had before now spent about N700 million on the Idye Basin flood control project in Makurdi.
He said for years Makurdi residents and other parts of Benue 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 the livelihoods of people in the state.
“Today, we stand to celebrate the completion of one of the contributions of the Federal Government through the National Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (N-HYPPADEC) by inaugurating the Idye Flood Control/Dyke Project, which spans an impressive 1.2 kilometers.
“This project, supplemented by an additional excavation of 2.5 kilometers to salvage the lower basin of the community, is a significant investment of approximately N1.2 billion,’’ he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that flood has become an annual ritual in Benue displacing hundreds of thousands and causing untold hardship and damage to them. (NAN) www.nannews.ng
Edited by Ifeanyi Okoronko/Gabriel Yough
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