Ola Akinola
The Director General (DG) Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NHSA), Clement Nze on Sunday expressed concern over the failure of various state governments to implement predictions from the agency as the major cause of flooding in the country.
According to him, the urban and coastal flooding experienced across the States could have been checked if the state governments had been using the information provided by the agency, even as the agency had continued to render advocacy services to the various states.
He, however, maintained that the country had been wasting so much water every year. While adding that if the various States would build deep channels, measuring 20 kilometeres away from the river bank to store water during the rainy season, less water would be allowed to enter the main channel, and during dry season the water would be used for irrigation purpose.
Nze make this remarks on an electronic media on Saturday night, painting out that Nigeria being located down stream on West and Central Africa, and all the waters in the nine West African countries enter into River Niger.
He further hunted that, “Nigeria had continued to waste it waters, stressing that if the various state government should use information given to them by he agency, then lives would be saved and the effect of flooding would be reduced with the use of the constructed deep channels. He also said that aside averting flooding, agricultural yields would increase as a result the use of the water for irrigation during the dry season.
“We had an understanding with countries like Mali, Niger and the rest of their countries should not take more than 25 percent of water that enter their countries, we also advocated for drainages to be constructed to channel the waters during the rainy season. Our state governments have not been making using of the information given to them and that is major reason we have the coastal and urban flooding. It is predicted that 25 local government areas would be affected by flooding in Niger state alone.
“Other states like Anambra, Bayelsa etcetera would be affected as well. Kebbi State which is one of the states that was also listed responded and that is why there was no loss of life, only farm lands were affected”, he stressed
The expert maintained that for effect control of flooding across the country, various states should through their water boards use standard equipments to measure their rivers. He said that the agency was not expected to go to the Grassroots to implement predictions, but that the state governments should rise up to the responsibility.
