The federal government has flagged off the reconstruction of Alau Dam in Borno state.
On September 9, more than 30 persons were killed and 400,000 displaced by floods in Maiduguri, Borno state capital, owing to the collapse of the dam.
The federal executive council (FEC), on Febuary 4, approved N80 billion to reconstruct and rehabilitate the dam.
Speaking on Saturday at the flag-off ceremony in Maiduguri, Joseph Utsev, minister of water resources and sanitation, said the project is a testament of the renewed hope agenda of the Bola Tinubu-led administration.
“The occasion of today will not be compete without expressing my humble and deep gratitude to our amiable visionary leader His excellency Presudent Bola Tinubu, GCFR, for making this event a reality,” Utsev said.
The minister noted that the approval of the project followed the recommendation of the technical committee set up to look into the integrity of dams across the country.
Utsev said the project, which would be completed within 24 months, will be carried out in two phases — the first will run from March to September 2025, and will cover the immediate intervention of flood risk in the state.
He added that the second phase, which will begin in October until the completion of the reconstruction, will focus on extensive desilting and structural enhancement, to ensure long-term functionality of the dam.
“I wish to appeal to your excellency the executive governor of Borno, Babagana Zulum, and the people of the state to support the contractors who will be with you on behalf of the federal government of Nigeria throughout the period of timehis project,” the minister added.
Also speaking, Babagana Zulum, governor of Borno, said the project signifies not just the repair of a physical structure, but the revitalisation of hope and prosperity for the people of the state.
He appealed to the federal government to consider running the proposed phases of the projects concurrently, due to the importance of desilting to the reconstruction of the dam.
(The Cable)
