Anxiety in Benue as Cameroon sheds excess water from Lagdo Dam

.ActionAid tasks govt to utilise ecological fund

Tension has gripped the people of Benue State, as news of the release of excess water from Lagdo Dam by Cameroonian authorities hit the state.

Principal Special Assistant (Media and Publicity/Strategic Communications) to the Governor, Bridget Ikyado, yesterday, quoted the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), as saying that the states, where flooding is being expected, include Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Anambra, Edo, Delta and Bayelsa.

According to the statement, the nine states, which have communities along the banks of River Benue, may be affected by the excess water from Lagdo Dam, which is expected to last till the end of October.

Ikyado noted that NEMA Director-General, Mustapha Ahmed, had also cautioned states and local councils along the River Niger and Benue basins to immediately activate their emergency response plans to avert colossal damage.

When The Guardian contacted the Executive Secretary, Benue State Emergency Management Agency (BSEMA), James Iorpuu, he said the state government was still mapping out modalities and would communicate to the public today.

He, however, assured that the government was not resting on its oars, and that modalities were in the pipeline to cushion the effect of the impending flood.

Amid the prediction of flood in nine states, ActionAid Nigeria (AAN) has asked the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), National Orientation Agency (NOA) to utilise the Ecological Fund to ensure prompt coordination and improve public awareness.

Country Director of AAN, Andrew Mamedu, stated that with glaring negligence of erosion and other disaster-prone zones across various states, despite significant allocations from the Ecological Fund, the group “demands immediate and comprehensive review” of the fund’s utilisation.

It also called for urgent deployment of the fund for immediate emergency response and prevention of future disasters.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) had raised the alarm on impending flood in nine states, including Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Anambra, Edo, Delta and Bayelsa, which led to the displacement of communities, posing significant risk of further devastation to crops and critical infrastructure.

According to AAN, the loss of 28 lives and displacement of thousands underscores the urgent need for collective and concerted efforts to address the crisis.

Reiterating its commitment to working with government, affected communities and relevant agencies to provide immediate relief, support, and rehabilitation efforts, it implored the affected states to urgently activate their emergency response plans to safeguard lives and property.

The statement reads: “At this critical juncture, AAN calls on both federal and state governments to collaborate with the national and state emergency management agencies to provide essential relief materials and ensure that affected individuals and families receive timely support.”