The Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, yesterday dismissed insinuations that the water released from the Lagbo Dam in Cameroun was responsible for this year’s devastating flood in many parts of Nigeria.
He told the Senate Committee on Water Resources that 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.
Adamu said the Dasin Hausa Dam was still on the drawing board, noting 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 in 100 years, water will not come.”
