Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, representing Borno South, has called on the federal government to dredge flood-affected communities in Borno State to help release trapped water and rescue stranded residents,Daily Trust reports.
In a statement issued on Monday in Abuja, Ndume highlighted that many residents remain stranded in their communities awaiting rescue.
Last Tuesday, severe flooding in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, resulted in the loss of lives, displacement of residents, and the submersion of homes and farmlands after the collapse of the Alau Dam.
Following this disaster, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved an N3 billion intervention fund to mitigate the effects.
ALSO READ: Borno Flood: 7 Recaptured As 274 Terrorists, Bandits, Other Inmates Escape
Senator Ndume, who also contributed N50 million towards relief efforts after leaders from the Borno South senatorial zone organized a fundraiser for the victims, stressed: “We must ensure that people don’t continue to suffer. Some have been trapped in their homes for the past six days.
“The federal government needs to conduct a survey, deploy dredging equipment, and clear the discharge point of the Alau Dam to allow the water to flow out. Otherwise, the consequences could be even worse.
“Many submerged buildings are not structurally sound, and prolonged exposure to water will lead to their collapse. Most people are still trapped in their communities because rescue operations are only being carried out using boats by the Nigerian military, other security agencies, and the state government.”
Ndume further urged the federal government to take immediate action to address the ongoing crisis, stating, “I am taking this opportunity to move a motion, even though we are currently in recess, for the federal government to intensify efforts to alleviate the suffering of those affected by both the flooding and insurgency.”
