The Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPADEC), on Monday, said that Benue State ranks highest in the frequency of gully erosion than any other state in the country.
It was also discovered that four major diseases were prevalent after the flooding experience in some areas where NEEDs assessments were carried out in the state.
Program Director of HYPADEC, Dr Muhammad Akali, revealed this in Makurdi during the presentation of the NEEDs assessment report exercise conducted by the commission in six states of its operation at a one-day stakeholders meeting.
The program director explained that there is no local government that is not affected by flooding and erosion in the state and added that the worsen gully erosion in the affected areas to the state worsened by water bodies that connect directly with River Cameroon, saying “Benue stands as a house in providing effects of floods to other states
“We identified the kind of erosion and to generate quality data in terms of figures. There is no local government that is not affected by high flooding and erosion in the state.
“The frequency of erosion in Benue State is higher than any other states in Nigeria in terms of the depth in gully erosion which stands at 35.4 per cent,” he said.
Alkali listed the major diseases prevalent after every flooding in the affected local government areas to include; hepatitis, cholera, malaria and typhoid, adding that Kastina-Ala local government had the highest level of insecurity followed closely by Agatu and Makurdi areas.
He listed the seven local government areas where the NEEDs exercise were carried out in the state to include; Buruku, Kwande, Agatu, Katsina-Ala, Gwer West and Makurdi.
The program director added that 6,358 households were interviewed on specific identified issues.
Also speaking, the HYPADEC Managing Director, Abubakar Sadiq, expressed the commission’s readiness to mitigate against the challenges bedevilling the affected areas in several ways.
Sadiq said in the next few weeks, the commission would provide 1000 motorcycles to the communities to check incessant attacks while two boreholes each will be dug in all the affected seven local government and solar street lights in the localities among others.
The State Deputy Governor, Benson Abounu, while responding commended the commission for beautiful ideas but charged it to walk its talk.
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