Senator Barkiya urges Nigerians to take adequate precautions over flooding in the coming years

Senator representing Katsina Central Senatorial district, Engr Kabir Abdullahi Barkiya has urged the federal government to take adequate precautions to prevent flooding in the coming years.

Barkiya who stated that flooding is a natural disaster, made this plea while speaking with journalists on Friday in his Abuja office.

Recall that the Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu had disagreed with the Senate that water released from the Lagbo Dam in Cameroon was solely responsible for the devastating floods in many parts of Nigeria.

Rather, the minister said the cause of the flood was due to water flowing from the tributaries of River Katsina Ala and others into River Benue due to heavy down pour.

Barkiya said “Already, businesses have been ruined and lives lost to flooding, it is now imperative for the Federal Government to take initiative in preventing the menace caused by flooding.

“You cannot stop flooding, it’s a natural phenomenon; just like you cannot stop earthquake.

“You know every year we do annual flood outlook. We have been doing it annually and we tell Nigerians down to the local government where we feel floods will happen. We tell them what measures to take. States and local authorities should stop giving people permission to build on water courses.

“People should not be building illegally on water courses. If you have a water course, if you think that you will see it dry for 10 or 20 years, it doesn’t mean in the 100 years water will not come.

“Town planning authorities in the states and local authorities should ensure that they plan their towns and cities properly. They should also make sure they provide adequate drains before the next raining season. The drains that have been clogged with sand and garbage should be taken care of. They should be cleaned up. That is the way to go”

“We need to do water shed management. And this is not a federal matter, we provide the guidelines but individuals in communities need to be doing this themselves. All these things need you to go down to the community level, you cannot expect everything to come from Abuja. That is not how to run things. Every citizen has a responsibility,” the senator stressed.