From Paul Osuyi, Asaba
Minority Leader in the House of Representatives Ndudi Elumelu has called for the dredging of the rivers Niger and Benue as a long-term solution to the perennial flooding in the country.
Besides, Elumelu who represents Aniocha/Oshimili constituency of Delta State at the National Assembly urged the federal government to dredge the ports in Warri, Koko and Onitsha, and make them functional.
Elumelu disagreed with those advocating for the building of dams as the solution to the flooding challenge.
The lawmaker spoke after visiting six Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in the constituency where he made a total cash donation of N25 million as part of steps to cushion the impact of the flood on victims.
The camps visited by Elumelu who seeking a return to the House on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), include, Ogbe-Afor, Onneh and Head Bridge all in Asaba, Ugbolu and Illah in Oshimili North, and Ewulu in Aniocha South.
He sympathised with the victims and called on the Federal Government to look for how to compensate the victims who lost properties to the flood.
“For the long-term measure, first of all, is to do the drainages. If you notice, all the canals for a long time, have not been touched. They need to do that so that the length and the height of the water will be so deep that the sand underneath will be excavated and will now give way for the water to flow easily.
“And it will no longer affect the neighbouring communities that are living within the shores of the river.
“So dredging of the River Niger and all the others is very important. It is not the building of dams because it is the same dam they built in Cameroon that is affecting us.
“What happened was that Cameroon opened their dam and it resulted in the flooding and it affected other dams that we have like the Kainji and Shiroro dams. I think dredging will solve the problem.
“For long, dredging has not happened, if you go to Warri Port, it has not been dredged for a very long time, Onitsha Port is not functional because it has not been dredged, Koko Port as well.
“These are the issues and the dredging of the river and the ports is a long-term measure to alleviate the suffering of our people so that when we enter the next rainy season, our people will not face this kind of situation,” he stated.