Benue Govt Partners SCI To Ends Flooding, Insist On FG Dredging Of River Benue.

From Attah Ede, Makurdi

Benue State Commissioner for Humanitarian and Disaster Management Aondowase Kunde, has stated that the administration of Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia has entered into partnership with Save the Children International and 

working ausidiously towards ending flood especially flash flood in the State.

The commissioner stated this while speaking with newsmen shortly after State government and Save the Children International engagement with residents of Gyado villa in Makurdi, the State capital.

He noted that statin the organization in partnership with stakeholders identified certain flood prone areas in Makurdi metropolises and constituted early warning signs committee to avert flooding in the area.

According to him, already, his ministry is working on contingency and resettlement plans, adding that in the next two (2) weeks, it would be ready. 

Kunde announced that the governor has given approval for him to travel to Burkina Faso and  study their pattern of resettlement so that it can be replicated in Benue.

"I will be traveling to Burkina Faso next week to learn their model on resettlement of flood victims and other areas of security, humanitarian and development so that we can work on our own model. 

"Once we work on our model, we will come up with a road map on flooding. Those who built on waterways, their houses will be demolished.

 "We have already started demolition at the Mechanic village in Kanshio, Welfare quarters and other parts of the State to ensure that when  rain falls, there will be easy passage for it. 

"We have already written to federal government calling for the dredging of River Benue The River has been overflowed by sand and when the dredging is done, the depth of the River can hold water such that even if Ladgo dam is opened, it can carry it and this issue of flooding will be put to rest" .

Earlier, the Deputy Country Director, Save the Children International, SCI, Jane Mbagi Mútua, the  organisation gave indication of SCI’s early warning to families living on flood planes in Benue State to vacate ahead of imminent flooding.

She  maintained that there are communities that are prone to flooding and they must not always wait for flooding to take place and people displaced before actions are taking.

“What can we do to ensure that they are not impacted by the flood? So, we work with communities to set up the Early Warning Sign committee who work within their communities to ensure that they are not impacted by the flood.

“Whether is clearing drainage because we know these are things that cause flooding or moving people to safer areas or building dyches to avert flooding. In Gyado villa, we have given the Committee over 2 million naira”.

Samuel Igbudu, Leader Early Warning Signs Committee, Gyado Villa said over 200 households who were impacted by flood, received relief from SCI.

Igbudu disclosed that the sum of over 2.4 million naira was given to the committee to mitigate flooding in the area, stating that they engaged in clearing of drainage by removing sands and plastic, mobilized community traditional Chiefs as well as sensitized the people against flooding.

“We also, interfaced with children on flooding by engaging and getting feedbacks from them.