The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, has inaugurated the 1.2 kilometres Idye flood control/Dyke project in Makurdi, Benue.

Mr Akume, while performing the ceremony on Thursday in Makurdi, said President Bola Tinubu was committed to a healthy and green environment for the country.

He said the country was faced with numerous challenges, and the environmental destruction consistently caused by floods and gully erosion was a significant one.

Represented by the minister of water resources and sanitation, Joseph Utsev, Mr Akume admitted that even before the establishment of N-HYPPADEC in 2021, environmental problems had been prevalent in most communities.

He said N-HYPPADEC was tasked with environmental conservation in the country and had put in place the necessary infrastructure to reverse environmental degradation caused by floods and erosion.

“The task of reversing environmental damages caused by floods and erosion over the years is definitely not an easy one. It requires meticulous and long-term planning that should be executed in stages.

“This flood control project, which we are here to inaugurate today, is only one of the early steps taken by the commission to reverse ecological degradation and promote sustainable developments in riverine communities.

“Thus, the completion of this project is a significant milestone in the efforts by N-HYPPADEC to mitigate the devastating effects of floods and erosion in Benue,” he said

Mr Akume said the 1.2 kilometre flood control drainage would not only protect the environment and infrastructure, but would also safeguard the lives and livelihoods of countless individuals within the state capital.

“This Flood Control/Dyke Project, spanning a distance of 1.2 kilometres, is a shining example of what can be achieved when government agencies, private sector partners and local communities come together with a shared purpose.

“The project will not only protect the environment and infrastructure but will also safeguard the lives and livelihoods of countless individuals who call this region home,” he assured.

In his goodwill message, Gov. Hyacinth Alia commended the federal government for constructing the drainage system, saying that it would go a long way toward mitigating the impact of floods on Makurdi residents.

Represented by his deputy, Sam Ode, Mr Alia said the project was a vital solution to the persistent problems of flooding and erosion within the Makurdi metropolis.

Earlier, the managing director (MD), National Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (N-HYPPADEC), Abubakar Yelwa, had said that the project cost N1.2 billion.

Mr Yelwa disclosed that the federal government had, before now, spent about N700 million on the Idye Basin flood control project in Makurdi.

He said that for years, Makurdi residents and other parts of Benue had endured annual flooding that consumed thousands of homes and farmlands, displacing numerous families.

“The 2022 Benue floods were even more tragic. In 2022, the Benue State Emergency Management Agency reported that the floods consumed about 18,349 houses and farmlands, displacing a total of 134,797 people.

“This staggering impact shows the urgent need to take decisive action to safeguard the communities and the livelihoods of people in the state.

“Today, we stand to celebrate the completion of one of the contributions of the Federal Government through the National Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (N-HYPPADEC) by inaugurating the Idye Flood Control/Dyke Project, which spans an impressive 1.2 kilometres.

“This project, supplemented by an additional excavation of 2.5 kilometres to salvage the lower basin of the community, is a significant investment of approximately N1.2 billion,’’ he said.

Floods have become an annual ritual in Benue, displacing hundreds of thousands and causing untold hardship and damage to lives and property.

(NAN)