Managing Director of the National Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (N-HYPPADEC), Abubakar Sadiq Yelwa, has raised the alarm that Dadi Kowa Dam in Gombe state, is at the verge of collapse.
He therefore called for urgent measures to avert the looming disaster which has now become a threat to people and communities living around the facility.
Yelwa stated this Monday at a press briefing at the N- HYPPADEC headquarters in Minna.
He appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to declare a state of emergency on flood disaster, saying the menace had been ravaging several communities in 28 states of the federation.
“According to report from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), this year, flood has so far claimed nearly 200 lives, displaced over 208, 000 people in 28 of the country’s 36 states, and washed away many homes and farmlands,” Yelwa said.
Speaking further on the condition of the Dadi Kowa Dam, the managing director expressed optimism that the disaster would be averted, adding that government had mobilised relevant experts to assess the dam.
He said: “I am aware that the federal government has mobilised experts on inspection of the dam from the ministry of Water and that of environment.”
In the immediate, he said the dam might have to open its spillway in a way that will not further endanger the lives of communities at its downstream.
He lamented that 80% of the states worst hit by the ravaging flood disaster are mainly from the N-HYPPADEC zone as a result of their location and electricity generation activities taking place in these states.
He said: “Preliminary report from our officers revealed that in Benue State so far 634 communities have been affected with nearly 30,000 farmlands washed away, in Kebbi State, 6,959 households have been affected with about 10,000 farmlands washed away.”
Yelwa expressed profound appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for his swift response in directing the release of victim support funds to states affected by flood this year, adding that, “this will go a long way in supporting the victims in this trying moment.”