Benue Govt Vows Permanent End To Flooding, Cautions Against Building On Waterways
By Sunday Etuka
The Benue State Government has reaffirmed the Alia-led administration’s commitment to permanently resolving flooding in the state, even as it cautioned residents against constructing buildings below sea level and along waterways.
According to the Government, such construction practices are among the major contributors to the flash floods and water clogging that lead to submerged properties across the state.
While not opposed to property development, the Government stressed that proper architectural drawings and requisite approvals must be obtained before any building project begins.
In a statement on Saturday by the Commissioner, Information and Orientation, Benue State, Hon. Chief Solomon Iorpev, the government also warned against the indiscriminate dumping of waste in drainage channels, noting that blocked drainages, combined with construction on waterways, remain key drivers of the recurring flooding experienced in parts of the state.
The Government pointed to the quality and scale of drainage infrastructure currently being built across the state as evidence of its resolve. Further interventions are already underway through the Benue State Agro-Climatic Watershed Management Agency, which is constructing a two metre wide drainage system around Achusah that will connect existing drainages to the river, putting a permanent stop to recurring floods in affected areas.
The Government therefore urges all residents to comply with due process in property development and to desist from activities that obstruct drainage systems, as it continues to implement sustainable, long term solutions to flooding across Benue State.
