ABUJA (Sundiata Post) – Senate on Thursday urged the Federal Ministry of Water Resources to revisit the proposed construction of Dasin Hause Dam and any other dam as the case may be so as to take in flood waters from Lagdo Dam in Cameroon, as well as control of all other dams that may cause flooding in the country.
Similarly, the Red Chamber directed its committees on Environment and Water Resources to investigate the causes of a pollution that eliminated all the fishes and other aquatic lives along Ekerekana River and the upper side of River Bonny in Rivers State between July 13 and 17 this year.
The desire to revisit the proposed construction of Dasin Hausa Dam and others followed the adoption of the resolutions of a motion moved by Senator Stella Oduah.
The motion is entitled: ‘Construction of dams to remedy perennial flood disasters in Nigeria.’
“The recurring annual floods in Nigeria, especially arising from the release of flood waters in Lagdo Dam in Cameroon, have caused avoidable loss of lives in many communities along the Niger-Benue River trough. These perennial flood disaster has also resulted in colossal loss of property and livelihood, with NEMA estimating the loss at over N2.6 trillion from the 2012 floods alone; (this) money could have built several dams to curb the menace.
“The attendant loss of lives and livelihood from the avoidable floods has led to dislocations and loss of future direction for the impacted families. These flood disasters have worsened the crisis of internally displaced persons (IDPs).
“These perennial floods have, over the years, caused widespread and irreparable damage to the various ecosystems along the impacted areas, with some flora and fauna loss for ever, and also introduced several strange vegetation that not only choke native floral, but are usually difficult to control.
“These floods have, over the years, resulted in permanent devastation of vast stretches of arable lands nationwide. There are indications that the floods are implicated in the emergence of strange illnesses and diseases resulting in erstwhile unknown medical conditions that have defied or could defy available medical interventions,” she said.
The Upper Legislative Chamber also urged the Federal Government to convene a stakeholders’ meeting to examine the recurring situation of flooding in the country with a view to proffering a lasting solution to flood disasters.
Senate also commended NEMA, PCFR and other relevant agencies, organisations and individuals whose efforts in creating awareness have led to reduction in casualty level.
In a related development, the federal lawmakers also asked its committees on Environment and Water Resources to investigate the causes of a pollution that eliminated all the fishes and other aquaric lives along Ekerekana River and the upper side of River Bonny in Rivers State between July 13th to 17th of this year.
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It also directed the operators of Notore Chemical company and the Port Harcourt Refineries to treat their dischargeable chemical components of effluents from their production processes to internationally acceptable standards before discharging them into rivers.
Adopting the prayers of a motion moved by Senator George Sekibo and two others, the senators also asked the National Environmental Standard Regulatory Agency (NESRA) to carry out a holistic appraisal of the effluents discharged into water bodies by chemical industry operators to forestall a future reoccurrence and ensure compliance to their approved minimum standard.
The mover of the motion argued that Notore Chemical Company which took over National Fertilizer Company of Nigeria (NAFCON) and Port Harcourt refineries Phases I and 2, washed out effluents from their companies into Ekerekana River which transports same to other water bodies in the suburb.
Sekibo noted that the same water is the major source of livelihood for local fishermen in Okrika, Ogu/Bolo and Eleme local government areas of Rivers State and neighbouring areas.
He lamented that since the discharge of the effluent, fish and other aquatic life have been dying, with a notable case recorded between Monday 13th through 17th July, 2015.
“If good measures are not taken to address this unwholesome attitude of the operators of these companies, the good intentions of the federal government in support of mass food production and petroleum products processing may turn to be a curse to the people of these local government areas and environs,” he said.
Similarly, the Red Chamber directed its committees on Environment and Water Resources to investigate the causes of a pollution that eliminated all the fishes and other aquatic lives along Ekerekana River and the upper side of River Bonny in Rivers State between July 13 and 17 this year.
The desire to revisit the proposed construction of Dasin Hausa Dam and others followed the adoption of the resolutions of a motion moved by Senator Stella Oduah.
The motion is entitled: ‘Construction of dams to remedy perennial flood disasters in Nigeria.’
“The recurring annual floods in Nigeria, especially arising from the release of flood waters in Lagdo Dam in Cameroon, have caused avoidable loss of lives in many communities along the Niger-Benue River trough. These perennial flood disaster has also resulted in colossal loss of property and livelihood, with NEMA estimating the loss at over N2.6 trillion from the 2012 floods alone; (this) money could have built several dams to curb the menace.
“The attendant loss of lives and livelihood from the avoidable floods has led to dislocations and loss of future direction for the impacted families. These flood disasters have worsened the crisis of internally displaced persons (IDPs).
“These perennial floods have, over the years, caused widespread and irreparable damage to the various ecosystems along the impacted areas, with some flora and fauna loss for ever, and also introduced several strange vegetation that not only choke native floral, but are usually difficult to control.
“These floods have, over the years, resulted in permanent devastation of vast stretches of arable lands nationwide. There are indications that the floods are implicated in the emergence of strange illnesses and diseases resulting in erstwhile unknown medical conditions that have defied or could defy available medical interventions,” she said.
The Upper Legislative Chamber also urged the Federal Government to convene a stakeholders’ meeting to examine the recurring situation of flooding in the country with a view to proffering a lasting solution to flood disasters.
Senate also commended NEMA, PCFR and other relevant agencies, organisations and individuals whose efforts in creating awareness have led to reduction in casualty level.
In a related development, the federal lawmakers also asked its committees on Environment and Water Resources to investigate the causes of a pollution that eliminated all the fishes and other aquaric lives along Ekerekana River and the upper side of River Bonny in Rivers State between July 13th to 17th of this year.
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It also directed the operators of Notore Chemical company and the Port Harcourt Refineries to treat their dischargeable chemical components of effluents from their production processes to internationally acceptable standards before discharging them into rivers.
Adopting the prayers of a motion moved by Senator George Sekibo and two others, the senators also asked the National Environmental Standard Regulatory Agency (NESRA) to carry out a holistic appraisal of the effluents discharged into water bodies by chemical industry operators to forestall a future reoccurrence and ensure compliance to their approved minimum standard.
The mover of the motion argued that Notore Chemical Company which took over National Fertilizer Company of Nigeria (NAFCON) and Port Harcourt refineries Phases I and 2, washed out effluents from their companies into Ekerekana River which transports same to other water bodies in the suburb.
Sekibo noted that the same water is the major source of livelihood for local fishermen in Okrika, Ogu/Bolo and Eleme local government areas of Rivers State and neighbouring areas.
He lamented that since the discharge of the effluent, fish and other aquatic life have been dying, with a notable case recorded between Monday 13th through 17th July, 2015.
“If good measures are not taken to address this unwholesome attitude of the operators of these companies, the good intentions of the federal government in support of mass food production and petroleum products processing may turn to be a curse to the people of these local government areas and environs,” he said.