Maiduguri: Gov. Babagana Zulum of Borno and the Shehu of Borno, Alh. Abubakar El-Kanemi, have appealed to the Federal Government to fast-track the rehabilitation and expansion of the Alau Dam. The duo made the appeal when the Shehu paid the traditional Sallah homage to the governor at Government House, Maiduguri, stressing the necessity of such action to avert another Borno flooding disaster.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Zulum expressed concern over the slow pace of work on the project and warned that with the onset of the rainy season, urgent action was needed. Fast-tracking the project would prevent a repeat of the 2024 flood disaster that devastated Maiduguri and surrounding local government areas.
“After the groundbreaking ceremony for the reconstruction and expansion of the dam, which we all attended, the truth is that the work is not progressing as expected,” Zulum said. He added that he had informed the President of the project’s true state and assured that he would continue to follow up, having also notified the Vice President. Meanwhile, the Secretary to the State Government has constituted a committee for immediate intervention at the dam.
NAN reports that the Federal Government had earlier this year approved N80 billion for the dam’s reconstruction and expansion. This intervention aimed to mitigate a repeat of the dam’s collapse incident, which led to severe flooding and damages. A groundbreaking ceremony was held in March to officially commence the project.
Zulum also pledged to connect all local government headquarters in the state to the national electricity grid before the end of his administration. He assured the Shehu that once the Pulka Quarry plant was completed, massive road rehabilitation work would begin across the state.
‘These are two critical issues dear to me. I assure Your Royal Highness that all local government headquarters will be connected to electricity before my tenure expires, Insha Allah,’ Zulum said. Despite insecurity being a major challenge, he affirmed his commitment to road infrastructure improvement and announced the procurement of 40 new Howo tipper trucks for extensive road rehabilitation once the Pulka Quarry plant is completed.
In his remarks, the Shehu commended the governor for the development strides across the state and emphasized the urgent need for the Federal Government to expedite the Alau Dam project, noting that the first phase should have been completed by now. He recalled the catastrophic flooding in Maiduguri on 10th September 2024, stressing that the Federal Government must act immediately to prevent a repeat.
He also highlighted the recent flooding in Mokwa as a warning about the looming threat faced by the people if the Alau Dam project is not swiftly completed. The Shehu urged the governor to follow up with the Federal Government on issues of oil exploration in Tuba, road rehabilitation, and electricity connectivity for local government areas.
NAN reports that Zulum also received Sallah homage from various delegations, including the University of Maiduguri, Kashim Ibrahim University, and the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, among others.