The Federal Government says it is untrue that water released from the Oyan Dam in Ogun was responsible for the flooding experienced annually in some parts of Ogun and Lagos.
Prof. Joseph Utsev, the Minister of Water Resources and
Sanitation, claimed while speaking with newsmen in Abeokuta on Tuesday after an
on-the-spot assessment of facilities at Oyan Dam.
Utsev declared that dams were mainly responsible for the
control of flooding and irrigation for agricultural purposes, and the Oyan Dam
could not have been responsible for the flooding.
“The condition of the 270 million-cubic-foot water reservoir
is perfect, and it could not have caused the recent flooding in the states,” he
said.
The minister, however, said the Federal Government was
working on a document to help it control flooding across the country.
He urged governments of states affected by flooding to
evolve measures that would control their citizens and prevent them from
building and dumping refuse on waterways.
“The annual flooding occurrence should not be blamed on the
release of water from any of the dams in the country. We should rather look at
other causes.”
Utsev further stated that his ministry had commenced a
partial commercialisation of all the river basin dams across the country.
He said the decision was part of measures to enhance
agriculture as well as boost the economy by President Bola Tinubu’s agenda for
self-sufficiency and food security.
While speaking during a meeting with Gov. Dapo Abiodun of
Ogun in his office, the minister enjoined the state government to key into the
“Clean Environment” programme of his ministry.
“The programme provides for eradication and zero tolerance
for open defecation. Our ministry will readily partner with Ogun towards
achieving that,” he said.
In his remarks, Abiodun solicited the Federal Government’s
intervention in bringing succour to the communities affected by flooding in the
state.
The governor emphasised that the state lacked the
professional expertise and the financial muscle to tackle flooding.
Abiodun asked the minister to prevail on the Ogun-Osun River
Basin Development Authority management to ensure the agency’s activities do not
constitute a danger to the lives of Ogun residents.
“The state is ready to cooperate with the ministry on
whatever measure it is planning that will make the Federal Government achieve
its goal of eradicating open defecation in the state, particularly when it is a
matter that concerns the health of the citizens,” he said.