Fatshimetrie – Possible imminent floods in Niger Delta and southern states due to overflowing of Ngadda River, government warns.
The Federal Government of Nigeria has issued a warning of possible floods in the Niger Delta and southern states of the country. The warning comes in the wake of the overflowing of the Ngadda River, and follows the recent devastating floods in Maiduguri which, contrary to initial speculation, were caused by the overflowing of the Ngadda River and not the collapse of the Alau Dam.
In a press conference, the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Engineer Joseph Utsev, clarified that the Alau Dam, located in Maiduguri, Borno State, has remained intact. He explained that the floods were caused by massive flows from the Ngadda River, a major tributary of the Yedzaram River, which overwhelmed the dam’s embankment.
Accompanied by the Minister of State for Water Resources and Sanitation, Honourable Bello Goronyo, Utsev visited the flood-affected areas to assess the damage and express his condolences to the government and people of Borno State.
Utsev pledged a thorough overhaul and upgrade of the Alau Dam, saying this is non-negotiable and that any failure by the contractors or officials involved will not go unpunished.
He promised to provide sanitation kits and water treatment facilities to the displaced persons as part of the ministry’s immediate response.
However, the Minister explained that the delay by the Ministry in taking action was due to prior inspections on irrigation in the South West, but he assured that the Alau Dam would be a priority.
He said: “We did not really envisage that the water level this year would be of this magnitude because of climate change, there was excess rainfall, and the rivers could not hold the water, and more water than expected was released into the Alau Dam, and it overflowed the dam.
“There was no collapse of the Alau Dam. It was one of the dams that could not hold the excess water from the tributaries that overflowed the dam.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria, and in particular the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, expresses its deepest sympathy with the government and good people of Borno State following the flood disaster that struck us a few days ago.
“This flood disaster has directly and indirectly affected millions of Nigerians, destroying homes, properties, farmlands, roads, critical infrastructure and assets, among others. I stand in solidarity with you all as we move forward through this difficult period
ime.
“The flood disaster that affected Maiduguri and Jere areas of Borno State was largely due to the overflow of water from the Alau Dam, located about 10 kilometres from Maiduguri city centre, due to the massive flow of River Ngadda, a major tributary of River Yedzaram.
“The Minister of State, Rt Hon. Bello Mohammad Goronyo and I visited Maiduguri accompanied by the heads of agencies and public establishments in my ministry to express our solidarity with the Governor of Borno State and assess the extent of the flood damage. As I speak, a team of technical experts from the Ministry, the National Water Resources Institute (NWRI) and the Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) as well as the Chad Basin Authority are physically on site to assess the situation at the Alau Dam and the magnitude of the flood disaster and to make useful findings and recommendations.”
Furthermore, according to the Minister, similar visits to Bauchi, Sokoto and Kebbi States have been undertaken and measurements are being taken, warning that the water people are drinking could be contaminated. “We must take this into consideration to avoid further outbreaks of water-related diseases.
“It is however warned that there will be severe flooding in the Niger Delta region and other southern states, hence the need for the government and the people to activate emergency measures to mitigate the impact.
“As we mourn the losses in Borno, Yobe, Jigawa, Bauchi and other flood-affected states, the attention of Nigerians is drawn to the possible flooding of the Niger and Benue rivers and some of their tributaries. The daily discharges of these rivers indicate a significant increase in flow levels approaching the RED alert.
“This warning means that a large volume of water is moving through our rivers to the Delta region. We must therefore enhance vigilance on all aspects and intensify proactive measures to address possible flood events in the southern part of the country,” he said.
The government is therefore calling for caution and rapid action to address this imminent threat of major flooding, warning of the potential risks to populations and the importance of adequate preparation to mitigate potential damage.