Benue Radio Station, Wurukum
Market and seven other communities have being submerged following Saturday
night heavy downpour in Makurdi.
The
State Commissioners for Land, Survey and Solid Minerals, Mr Bernard Unenge, and
Water Resources and Environment, Mr Joseph Utsev went round the town for
situation report on Sunday.
Ustev
explained that the ministry needed adequate funds to mitigate the situation,
adding that the disaster was caused by blocked drainages in some areas.
He said
that the Transmission House of Radio Benue, Wurukum Market, and Low Level were
submerged as a result of the downpour.
Other communities affected were Welfare Quarters, Benue State
University community, New Kanshio village, Rice Mill Wadata as well as Idye and
Achusa villages.
He
urged the Federal Government to include Benue among the states to benefit from
the N1.6 billion ecological intervention funds for states affected by flood
disasters.
The
commissioner said that the state has not received any ecological assistance
from the Federal Government since 2013.
“Benue
Government is looking for ways in which River Benue can be dredged. This is
because by dredging the river, majority of the water can be accommodated to
prevent future overflow.
“The
ongoing research so far, showed that the preliminary study will cost about N8
billion while the main project will gulp about N300 billion.
“This
is where we need Federal Government financial intervention to execute the
project, since the funds are much.”
He said that the dredging would also encourage economic
activities to be serviced by the state’s Cargo Airport.
Also
speaking to NAN, Unenge said that the government would immediately relocate the
traders at the Wurukum Market to the International Market.
He
said that government was ready to provide additional land for the traders in
case the International Market was not sufficient.
The
Executive Secretary Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Dr Boniface
Ortese told NAN during the inspection of the affected areas that proactive
measures have been put in place to address the situation.
He
said that all relevant authorities in the country were communicated, adding
that the agency would soon open the IDPs camp at North Bank.
NAN
reports that several households, property and electrical polls were destroyed
in the state capital.
NAN
recalls that no fewer than 4,000 houses were submerged in the 2012 flooding
which also destroyed property worth millions of naira.
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