Kogi Govt. appeals to FG to construct dams on Niger, Benue rivers to avert floods

Kogi state Government has urged the Federal Government to build dams on the rivers Niger and Benue across the local Government Areas prone to flooding as a way of mitigating the sufferings of the people of the affected areas during raining seasons.

The Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello represented by his deputy Elder Simon Achuba, made the appeal on Tuesday in lokoja, when the officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) donated tons of relief materials for the 2017 flood victims to the state.

The Deputy Governor, who lamented at the media campaign against the state that it has diverted the relief materials for political gains, said the government has been vindicated for the public presentation of the materials worth millions of naira by the management of NEMA to the state.

Achuba stated that Kogi state which is not only surrounded by the two major rivers of Niger and Benue but with numerous rivers and streams has become susceptible to flooding.

He noted that the proactive measures of monthly environmental sanitation embarked by the present government after the 2012 floods in the state has reduced high incidence of flooding in the subsequent years.

According to him, ” My Local Government which is Ibaji LGA there is no way one can prevent flooding from happening. It is a natural thing. Our people are surrounded by rivers and streams and when it rains, one cannot ask nature to stop it from overflowing the banks.

” And if we should consider the option of relocating to another place which is not possible, because their major occupation is fishing and a fisherman need to live within the river banks. So, we are appealing to the federal government to continue to support us with relief materials and to build dams for these local governments, about nine of them that are prone to flooding,” he appealed.

While acknowledging the Federal Government for its support to ameliorate the suffering of the victims, assured that the state government will ensure that the actual victims benefited from the materials.

While presenting the relief materials to the state, the Director General of NEMA, Yunusa Maihaja, said the Agency has to respond swiftly to the plight of the state to reduce the incidence of the floods on the people.

Represented by his Director of Reliefs and Rehabilitation matters Kayaode Fagbemi who explained that the agency will not play politics with the lives of people adding that the delay was caused by hiccup in transporting the goods to the state.

He assured the people that the material which included thousand kilograms of food items, non-food items, building materials and livelihoods restoration tools will be distributed directly to the affected persons by NEMA official in collaboration with the Kogi state Emergency Management Agency.( SEMA).