The Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, yesterday blamed the state and local authorities for the cause of flooding in several parts of Nigeria.
This is even as he dismissed insinuations that the water released from the Lagbo Dam in Cameroon was responsible for this year’s devastating flood in the country.
Speaking before the Senate Committee on Water Resources, Adamu said the flood was due to water flowing from different tributaries into the River Benue due to heavy downpour.
The committee had asked him about the state of the Dasin Hausa Dam in Adamawa State which is to mitigate the effects of water released from the Lagbo Dam in Cameroon.
According to him, the Dasin Hausa Dam was still on the drawing board, he stressed that even if the dam was built, it would not help much.
He said the water released from the Lagbo Dam contributed only about 1 percent to the floods in Nigeria.
He said: “You cannot stop flooding, it’s a natural phenomenon, just like you cannot stop earthquake.
“States and local authorities should stop giving people permit to build on watercourses.
“People shouldn’t be building illegally on water courses. If you’ve a water course, if you think you’ll see it dry for 10 or 20 years, it doesn’t mean in100 years, water will not come.”
Meanwhile, this video has contrary details of what might be the cause of the flooding in Nigeria.
