Flooding: Dredge River Niger, Benue immediately Senate to FG

The Senate has called on President Bola Tinubu to order the urgent dredging of the Rivers Niger and Benue as part of long-term measures to prevent recurring floods in Nigeria.

In addition to urging the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to provide immediate relief to affected communities, the Senate also requested that the dredging project be included in the 2025 national budget.

The Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) was also asked to prioritize the rehabilitation of Shuwa, Jigalambu, and Baladega bridges.

The Senate tasked its committee on legislative compliance with ensuring that both NEMA and FERMA carry out these directives.

This follows a previous Senate resolution during an emergency session earlier in the year, advocating for the inclusion of the Rivers Niger and Benue dredging in the 2024 Appropriation Bill, which was intended to mitigate the widespread devastation caused by flooding.

The motion, presented by Senator Amos K. Yohanna of Adamawa North, highlighted the severe impact of flooding in five local government areas of the district Madagali, Maiha, Michika, Mubi North, and Mubi South where hundreds of homes and farmlands were destroyed.

He said: “The Senate note that there was massive flooding that caused catastrophic destruction in the five local governments of Adamawa North senatorial district.

“Further note that hundreds of houses and farmlands were destroyed. The floods also washed away multiple culverts and bridges in Shuwa (Madagali LGA), Jigalambu, Watu, Kudzum (Michika LGA) and the Baladega Bridge, along Mubi-Maiha road. More tragically is the fact that some lives were lost;

“Aware that the flooding situation has overwhelmed local capacities, and left thousands of people in dire need of urgent humanitarian assistance in Kirchinga, Shuwa and Gulak (Madagali LGA), Dzuragu (Michika LGA) Mayo Bani (Mubi North LGA) Konkol (Maiha LGA), including shelter, food, medical care and clean water.

“Disturbed that this worsens the already difficult economic and security situation affecting the people and will relapse in internally displaced persons, IDPs, tragedy as thousands of displaced people are currently taking refuge in schools.”