The House of Representatives has drawn the attention of the Federal Government to the opening of the Lagdo dam, situated in northern Cameroon, which has reportedly caused lots of flooding in the country, News About Nigeria reports.
On Tuesday, the House urged the Federal Government to address the frequent flooding.
The resolution of the House followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance on the need to investigate the recurrent flooding due to the opening of the Lagdo Dam, sponsored by the Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda.
He noted that the Lagdo Dam was built in 1982 primarily for irrigation and electricity generation but now releases excess water to prevent overflow, which inevitably flows downstream into Nigeria, causing significant flooding in states along the river, including Borno, Adamawa, Benue, Taraba, Kogi, and beyond.
Chinda added that the recurrent loss of lives, displacement of communities, destruction of farmlands, livestock, and homes, and damage to critical infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, schools, and healthcare facilities, is a source of concern to Nigeria.
He said, “Despite early warnings by the Nigerian authorities about the release of water from the Lagdo Dam, many communities remain unprepared and are left vulnerable to the devastating impacts of the floods.”
“While the construction of a buffer dam, the proposed Dasin Hausa Dam in Adamawa State, was agreed upon in principle between Nigeria and Cameroon to help contain the excess water from the Lagdo Dam, this project has remained stalled for years due to funding and bureaucratic delays.
“There is an urgent need for the Federal Government to develop long-term solutions to mitigate the impact of the annual flooding and to protect vulnerable communities along the River Benue and Niger basins.
“Unless swift actions are taken to engage relevant stakeholders, both within and outside Nigeria, to mitigate these annual disasters and to provide lasting solutions for affected communities, the situation will persist annually, with each year worse than the former, thus diminishing the confidence of the people in the leaders.”
