Flooding: Senate tasks FG to commence dredging of Rivers Benue and Niger

As the National Assembly resumed plenary on Tuesday after two months break, the Senate has called on the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, to commence the dredging of Rivers Benue and Niger, to avert the menace of flooding.
It could be recalled that, several communities and states in Nigeria recently recorded calamities, as a result of overflow of rivers and waterways resulting in huge loss of lives and property.

In a motion moved by Senator Yahaya Abdullahi (Kebbi North) and seconded by Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi (Niger North), the Senate also urged the federal and state governments to institute strict land use and environmental planning, to ensure proper drainage systems.
The Senate expressed concern over National Policy and Policy Implementation deficit on drainage, water management and urban development planning and implementation.
“The recent extensive flooding and and its destructive aftermath along the Rivers Niger and Benue and their inland tributaries which has become very endemic, recurring almost every year during the rainy season with its disastrous effect recorded so far in several locations and local government areas in Kebbi, Niger, Kogi, Kwara, Imo and Benue States”, Senator Abdullahi said.
He said, “a lot of urban flooding and building collapses also arose from the blocking of water channels and sitting of dwellings and business premises along dry water channels and flood prone areas”.

To avoid the outbreak of communicable diseases like cholera and gastroenteritis, the Senate further resolved that the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) should urgently mobilise humanitarian and medical assistance to the locations affected by the flood disasters.