By FEMI AKINOLA
The Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar Ibn Umar Garba El-Kanemi, has called on President BolaAhmed Tinubu to set up a Presidential panel of inquiry to investigate the collapse of Alua Dam that led to the recent destructive flood in Maiduguri and its environs.
The palace of the frontline traditional ruler in the centre of Maiduguri was also submerged during last week’s flood that caused havoc in the city including the untimely death of over 30 residents. It was reported that the Sheu of Borno was moved to safety in Government House at the early stage of the devastating flood.
The Shehu noted that the collapse of the dam which was about 10 kilometre away from Maiduguri, led to the overflow of huge water into the state capital, saying the probe would prevent reoccurence of such havoc.
Shehu Garba El-Kanemi made the call for probe of Alua Dam on Monday, when President Bola Tinubu visited him in his palace during the latter’s sympathy visit and assessment tour of the areas devastated by the flood.
He expressed gratitude to the President and his entourage for the visit and sending the VicePresident, Shettima earlier on the same mission.
Reacting to the high level of damage done by the Maiduguri flood, President Tinubu promised to immediately tke proactive action, including the setting up of disaster relief fund to address the challenges that has arisen.
The President said the relief fund is necessary in view of the fact that climate change has become more unpredictable adding tht many places in the country are vulnerable to its vagaries.
President Tinubu called on the private sector to contribute to the fund noting that there must be a disaster relief fund. ” I invite the private sector to team up with us and help rebuild the affected area,” the President said.
It was recalled that when flooding submerged Maiduguri and its environs last week, a wave of terror gripped the atmosphere. Tens of of houses were buried underwater; the flooding swallowed people as families lost track of one another. Hundreds of residents lost their homes to the visiting floods taking over the city.
In the aftermath of the flood when the water has received, though residents say the actual figures are much higher, authorities say over 30 casualties were recorded and over 400, 000 displaced by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
The official narrative provided by NEMA was that nearly half of Maiduguri was buried in disastrous flooding after the Alau Dam, a critical infrastructure designed to regulate water flow and provide irrigation and drinking water, overflowed following heavy rainfall. In no time, floodwaters swept through over 23, 000 neighbourhoods, drowning the city under its force.
The State Governor, Babagana Zulum, addressed the people through the media, expressing commitment to building infrastructures to avert future floods.
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“We shall leverage on this calamity as an opportunity to invest in sustainable practices and infrastructure that can withstand the forces of nature,” he pledged, asking locals to cooperate with the authorities over his fresh vow.
The statement seems appealing to the Borno public, but those in the know said Alau Dam collapse was bound to happen, only that authorities had turned deaf ears to prior warnings from environmentalists in and around the region.
According to the experts, there had been cracks in the dam’s walls, and erosion had taken over the embankments, a result of years of abandonment that weakened its structure.
A few days before the flooding uproar, dozens of residents living near the dam were asked to leave for fear of impending hazards that may result from the overflowing dam.
