Borno State Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, has urged the Federal Government to speed up reconstruction of the collapsed Alau Dam, which resulted in the recent flooding in Maiduguri Metropolis and its neighbouring council areas.
   
The facility, situated in the Alau community of Konduga, was constructed between 1984 and 1986 to provide water for irrigation and domestic use in Maiduguri.
    
The governor appealed yesterday after receiving the report of the assessment committee that investigated the root cause of the dam’s collapse. Zulum noted that with about four months to another rainfall, the Federal Ministry of Water Resources needed to fast-track the dam’s reconstruction.
   
He said: “By next week, we shall be in January, and rainfall will set in some parts of Borno State by March. We have limited time. The earlier we begin something, the better for us. The Federal Government’s assessment team was in Maiduguri, and they had a consultation with the committee we inaugurated.

“On our part as state government, we shall push this matter to the latter. I am of the view that in a few days, if there is no action on the ground, I will go and see Mr President and beg him to allow the Northeast Development Commission to take over, and start the reconstruction immediately. If we decide to wait for the bureaucracy, I am afraid, we will run out of time.
 
“If we can start on time, I am sure with serious commitment, we can rebuild the substantial part of the dyke, which has collapsed.” Zulum submitted that the committee inaugurated by the state government had taken temporary measures to stop water from spilling from the dam.
 
He assured that despite limited resources, his administration would partner with the Federal Government to ensure that such a devastating flood does not reoccur in Borno.