By: Ali Musa Biu- Maiduguri.
A group under the aegis of Concerned Borno Citizebs, has absolved the Borno state Go ernment of culpability in the mismanagenet of the Alau dam, which collapse caused the recent flood that ravaged Maiduguri, the Borno state capital.
In a statement by its spokesperson, Alkassim Modu, which was made available to our correspondent, the group notes that the Borno state Government is not responssible for the maintanance of the dam, and can not be held responsible for its collapse.
The the statement notes that, “the recent overflow of the Alau Dam on September 10, 2024, which led to the flooding and submerging of over 70% of Maiduguri and environs, and the displacement of over two million people has created misconceptions about the ownership of the facility and who is responsible for its maintenance”
The collapse of the Alau Dam located in Konduga Local Government Area of Borno State, has fueled speculations that the Dam belongs to the Borno State Government. The group said however, that verifiable evidence available to them suggests that the dam was actually built by the Federal Government of Nigeria between 1984 and 1986 as a reservoir of the Ngadda River.
The argued tat, it was built to impound water from Ngadda River, to provide water for domestic consumption in Maiduguri and environs and irrigation for communities around the river bank. Ngadda Tracing the source of water into the dam, the concerned citizens said, the river Nggada is one of the tributaries of Lake Chad.
The statement furter argued that, ‘our inquiries show that out of genuine concern for his people, Governor Umara Zulum, on the 5th of September, 2024 sent a state government delegation to visit and see the condition of the Dam, following the unprecedented increase in the volume of rainfall this year”.
The said, findings revealed that Borno’s delegation was received by the Dam managers (Chad Basin Development Authority, CBDA) which briefed and gave assurances that the Dam has no “engineering deficit and therefore poses no threat”.
The Governor took that decision according to them out of concern, by the increasing volume of rain. “Zulum ordered the activation of all government machinery on the 7th of September, to prepare for the eventuality of a flood”, they disclosed.
He also issued a warning that the unprecedented increase in the volume of rainfall this year could lead to flooding in Maiduguri, which to them shows that the Borno State Government took cautionary measures and informed everyone of the possible dangers ahead.
Quoting from a press release from the government, the group said, “The Governor noted with concern that the high volume of rain across parts of the state may possibly lead to flooding.”
Consequently, he “instructed all relevant government agencies and local councils to dutifully discharge their responsibilities by continuously assessing vulnerable areas, implementing preventive measures, and conducting public awareness campaigns across all communities in their domains.”
Defending G I vernier Zulum further Aljassim Modu, in the release said,Governor Zulum “cautioned the public to be conscious about the possible risks, be vigilant and abide by all directives from government agencies and constituted authorities on all emergency response protocols.”
The equally argued that,”Zulum, within the power of the Borno State Government made necessary efforts to avert the disaster, but unfortunately, the high volume of water overwhelmed the Dam and all efforts to prevent Maiduguri from being flooded were futile.
“The Lake Chad flows through the territories of Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria, and the Alau Dam facility is managed by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, which receives annual budgetary provisions and not the Borno State Government.
The Federal Ministry of Water Resources and the Chad Basin Development Authority are solely responsible for maintaining the Dam and are mandated to conduct regular assessments and maintenance.
Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Water Resources was established in 1976 and is saddled with the statutory responsibility of managing water supply, irrigation, freshwater, and aquaculture in the country. It also has the responsibility of overseeing the 11 river basin development authorities in Nigeria, including the CBDA”, the group explained.
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