• NEDC attributes collapse to weak structures, siltation
• Governors visit Maiduguri, sympathise with Zulum, Borno people
• Red Cross requests urgent donations as WHO pledges support

The sum of N171 million was recorded spent by the Federal Government for the rehabilitation of the collapsed Alau Dam in Borno State, according to details on the Govspend website of the President Bola Tinubu-led administration.

The N171 million payments were made between June 2023, when the administration came on board, and July 2024, the last tranche of money recorded spent was N26 million disbursed on July 29, 2024, barely six weeks before the collapse, for rehabilitation works at the dam.

Also, the dam, whose recent collapse has caused severe flooding and displacements in Borno State, received N762 million in budgetary allocations over the past 12 years. However, the dam has remained in poor shape despite these allocations, raising questions about fiscal responsibility and oversight.

This is as the North-East Development Commission (NEDC) has attributed the collapse of Alau Dam to weak structures and siltation of the water facility. The excessive waters of the 38-year-old dam, however, submerged over a dozen communities and the business districts of the Post Office, Gidan Madara and the Maiduguri Monday Market (MMM), which has remained closed to the public. Emergency workers say about 70 per cent of the capital city has been submerged.

Unveiling the cause of the dam collapse, yesterday, in Maiduguri, the Executive Director, Administration and Finance of the Commission, Garba Iliya, said: “Three dykes of the dam were washed off by the excessive waters that flooded Maiduguri last Monday.”

Explaining that the dykes of dams regulate the flow of water in preventing any disaster to peoples’ lives and property, he lamented that the dykes and other critical structures of the dam have outlived to contain and retain the excessive waters that broke dykes.

Iliya, who is also an engineer, noted that even though the dam gate was not affected, a contract has been awarded to replace the dykes and other critical structures of the Alau dam. He warned that the dam is to be desilted, before embarking on the replacements of dykes, including the re-enforcement of the main gate.

A report published by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) disclosed that previous governments of Goodluck Jonathan, Muhammadu Buhari, and now Bola Tinubu allocated funds to rehabilitate the dam annually, with Buhari’s government earmarking most funds for the project – N285 million in 2020 and N200 million in 2023.

The repair works on the dam were stated in the 2012, 203, and 2016 budgets. A breakdown of the 2012 budget shows that N11 million was allocated for a desilting exercise and a hydrographical survey while  N12 million budgeted for another round of desilting in 2013.

Similarly, in 2016 N10 million was allocated to rehabilitate dykes 1, 2, and 3 in the dam.

However, budgets for subsequent years – from 2017 – had funds allocated to ‘Alau Dam Rehabilitation’ without a breakdown and itemizing costs of specific needs in repairing the dam.

The rehabilitation of the dam and other similar projects are part of the duties of the Chad Basin River Development Authority (CBRDA) with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources serving as the supervisory body.

Amid uncertainty on the use of funds allocated to the dam over the years, documents on the Open Treasury Portal show that about N300 million had supposedly been spent on rehabilitating the dam between 2018 and 2024. A major part of this was spent in 2023 when the CBRDA awarded N162 million to contractors for repairs.

It was further gathered that Governor Babagana Umara Zulum’s administration was warned about the impending disaster days in advance, but the warning and risks were downplayed.

Following the warnings, a high-level delegation led by the Secretary to the State Government, Bukar Tijani, inspected the Alau Dam on September 5 and assured the public that Maiduguri was safe and that measures were being taken to prevent flooding.

However, their reassurances proved false, and the dam collapsed on Tuesday, just days after the inspection, causing widespread destruction and displacement.

The Alau Dam, which supports irrigation and supplies tap water to Maiduguri and Jere Local Government Area, showed signs of distress earlier in September, causing damage to nearby farmland and communities. Despite this, citizens said the government’s response was inadequate while giving false hope that the situation was under control.

The Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), led by its chairman, Kwara State governor, Abdulrahman AbdulRazak, was in Maiduguri on Thursday for a sympathy visit to commiserate with the state and people of Borno.

During the visit, they expressed their sympathy and condolences to the governor, government, and people of Borno for the loss and destruction caused by the flooding. They also offered prayers for the repose of those who lost their lives, and for God to grant the people the fortitude to bear the loss.

Governor Zulum welcomed the NGF Chairman and his entourage, expressing his deepest appreciation for their visit and show of concern. He also prayed for God to reward them abundantly for their kindness and prayers.

Following the courtesy call, Zulum took the five visiting governors on a tour of the city to assess the situation on the ground and the extent of the damage caused by the flood disaster.

The governors who accompanied the NGF Chairman included Adamawa State governor, Ahmadu Fintiri; Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Ondo State governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa; and Yobe State governor, Mai Mala Buni.

The Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS) has provided relief materials and called for urgent donations to victims affected by the recent flood in Maiduguri. This was contained in a statement by the organisation and signed by its Coordinator, Communications and Advocacy NRCS, Chima Nwankwo.

According to the statement, the President of the NRCS, Prince Adeaga, called for a timely response to avert further crisis. “As we continue to provide aid and comfort to those in need, the Nigerian Red Cross Society passionately appeals for additional support from the public, private sector, and international community.”

This is as the World Health Organisation (WHO) pledged to support the Borno State government to mitigate the impact of the flood disaster which left over 30 persons dead.

Already, the UN Country Team has activated an Emergency Response Mechanism that is coordinating all the agencies and will lead the response as they support the government.

Speaking during an on-the-spot assessment of the situation yesterday in Maiduguri, WHO Country Representative in Nigeria, Dr Walter Mulombo, lamented that about 14 health facilities have been cut off by the flood while some laboratories have been affected.

The state Commissioner for Health Prof. Baba Mallam Gana, who conducted Mulombo round the city, noted that the flooding has never happened at this scale in Borno, adding that the Alau dam, which provides water to the state, had problems and about 70 per cent of Maiduguri has been submerged under water.

Meanwhile, the Lagos Bridge over River Yedzaram, on which the dam was built, is developing significant cracks and it’s on the verge of collapsing. Motorists and pedestrians were warned against crossing the bridge, until further notice.

According to a media source, Zagazola Makama, a particular area of concern is the Customs area, where people are stranded on a flyover bridge. Makama told The Guardian that despite the challenging conditions, the military has bravely waded into the floods to rescue those in need. Their efforts have been instrumental in saving lives and providing hope to affected communities.

It was gathered that although water levels have begun to recede in some areas, others, remain in dangerous situations.  A soldier in 222 Battalion, Konduga, told The Guardian that: “The flood started from our location in Konduga. We finished rescuing so many people in Konduga and moved to Maiduguri to rescue more people.”

National Coordinator of the Human Rights Writers Association (HURIWA), Emmanuel Onwubiko, blamed the government for the disaster. He noted that the dam collapse was the failure of leadership.

According to him, “Nigerian government officials are highly uncoordinated and insensitive. The question we should be asking is that if the dam is overwhelmed, why was it allowed to happen, and why were there no remediation and quick rescue operations? Why was this flooding not anticipated so the people could be given an early warning and possibly relocated to safer places? This Maiduguri flood is a failure of leadership and one of the manifestations of bad governance.”