Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi
Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, has advocated for the speedy construction of Kafin Zaki Dam in order to actualise its economic potential and address incessant flooding affecting communities in the area.
The governor, who made the call while receiving the management of the Hadejia-Jama’are River Basin Authority on a courtesy visit to the Government House in Bauchi yesterday, said the call followed an assurance by the Authority to commence dredging of the dam in 2020 as parts of it work plans.
Mohammed, who decried that yearly, downstream communities are being subjected to untold hardship due to the devastating flooding, charged the authority concerned to provide engineering solution to the challenges.
The governor also advised the Authority to expand its programmes by offering agricultural extension services to enhance irrigation in farming towards achieving food security.
While commending the River Basin Authority for it laudable initiatives, the governor expressed commitment of his administration to complement the effort by providing all necessary support for the smooth execution of the projects.
Earlier, the Managing Director of the Authority, Ma’amun Da’u Aliyu, who attributed the delay for the dredging to lingering issues among Bauchi, Borno and Yobe State, explained that they resolved to construct only 80,000 litres capacity dam in Kafin Zaki as against the earlier proposed 2,000 due to the fear of negative tendencies on the complaining states.
According to him, similar gesture will be replicated in Jama’are, Misau, Ningi and Katagum in line with their mandates.
He, therefore, called on the state government to construct access roads in the affected areas to ease transportation for the benefiting communities.
