Benue Citizens Blame Government Over Unprofessional Water Channels Blockage
OpenLife News reports that residents of Makurdi, the Benue State capital, are counting their losses after a nine-hour downpour on Monday submerged several houses and destroyed property worth millions of naira.
The rainfall, which started overnight and lasted into the evening, flooded residential areas including Achusa, New GRA, behind Radio Benue, Nyiman, Idye, Naka Road, North Bank, Ankpa Quarters, Tilley Gyado-Terwase Agbadu, Wurukum and Wadata.
Affected residents said household items, foodstuff and business goods were destroyed, while commuters were stranded as floodwaters took over major streets.
Buildings and business premises located around ongoing construction sites and riverbanks were worst hit.A resident, Frank Tion, blamed the flooding on blocked drainage channels caused by ongoing road construction in the city.
He accused contractors handling road projects of indiscriminately closing roads and drainage channels without providing alternative water passages, and called on Governor Hyacinth Alia to direct them to immediately open the channels to allow free flow of water.
An engineer, Augustine Ayande, blamed the government for poor foresight on anticipated issues like this. He pointed out that any government that cannot foresee this kind of disaster in a construction environment to deploy necessary mechanism and proactively put it in check, needs to re examine it self.
Another resident, Theresa Andyson, however, noted with dismay that the multiple construction works going on simultaneously in Makurdi, where water channels are blocked to allow works to go on smoothly, contributed significantly to the flooding.
Reacting, Information Officer of the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Terna Ager, said the agency had received reports of flooding in Achusa but was yet to visit the affected areas for assessment.
Residents are now calling on the state government to enforce strict supervision of construction activities and ensure contractors do not block water channels during construction.
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