By Harry Awurumibe, Editor Abuja Bureau
Determined to avoid further loss of lives and properties across the country due to perennial flooding, the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), has assured that Nigerians will not see the kind of humanitarian crisis witnessed last year.
This assurance was given by the NIWA Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief George Muoghalu while briefing State House Correspondents after a closed door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at Presidential Villa, Abuja on Thursday.
According to him, NIWA has taken a proactive approach by sensitizing the people who live along the waterways, keep them informed of the possible flood-prone areas so that people will have to leave those locations before the floods come.
Said he: “Yes, it’s of a great concern. Like you talked about what happened last year, it was of great concern to us as an agency of government that has something to do with water and flood. So what we started doing proactively was first of all to start aspects of sensitization, getting people to understand because we have a department in our office that monitors flood flow, looking at the floodplain and gives us a report on a monthly basis or bi-weekly basis, to my office and then the department that is responsible will now develop the data, which we’ll now use to sensitize the people, keep them informed of the possible flood-prone areas so that people will have to leave those locations.
“While at the same time also, like you may be aware, we have 23 Area Offices across the country. So what we are doing, in terms of opening of blocked channels, is using the area offices across the country, identifying those areas where we have blocked channels and then within the limits of our own resources and capabilities, we start opening them up so that they have free flow of water”.
Speaking further on what NIWA is going to do to ensure flooding does not occur this year, he said: “Yes, I agree with you that challenge is there. Proactively, what we are doing is to first of all sensitize the people, identify the critical areas and get people to know what will happen with time. With regards to clearing, yes, water hyacinths are being cleared on a regular basis, wrecks are removed, channels that are blocked, we do everything we can, within the limits of our resources to open up those channels so that we can have easy flow of water during this period.
On the resources available for NIWA to do massive capital dredging to take care of the flooding, Muoghalu said that: “what we’re doing is to use the resources we have to do what we call maintenance dredging, that is opening up channels, deepening channels where we have information, based on the statistical report from our department where we have such blockages and then we keep doing what we can do to ensure that these channels are open all year round”.
“When I started I said one of our primary responsibilities is to make sure that our channels are all year round navigable and that means opening them up to the extent that vessels can move around across the country”, the NIWA boss said.
Asked about the challenges his agency faces and whether he thinks he is well positioned to scale the challenges, he said President Buhari’s administration has been very supportive of his agency.
Said he: “Yes, there may be challenges, but challenges are there for man to overcome and we’re doing our best with the support we’ve been receiving from Mr. President and from our ministers and our ministry, leaders in our ministry, Permanent Secretary, everybody.
“We have been achieving reasonable success and we intend to sustain it until we actualize our desired ambition, which is to ensure that our waterways are all year round navigable to ensure that the potentials that abound in that sector of the economy, the maritime sector, is kind of explored and exploited for the benefit of our people”.
Asked what NIWA is doing about the wreckages in the Nigeria waterways, he said: “Yes, I said earlier that wrecks, even floating debris are all being removed at various locations across the entire country, as we identify them, we do the basic survey and once we identify them, we set the process in motion to remove them. We’re doing some now as we keep identifying them, and you know these things like what hyacinth, like wrecks, like floating debris, are not fixed items that you will say ‘I will remove now and it won’t be there again.
” You can remove a wreck tomorrow and by next tomorrow, another wreck will come. What are these wrecks? Broken down vessels that are condemned, logs and what have you. So as we identify them, using survey, identify the coordinates, the next thing we do is to set in motion the process of removing them.
“As we speak, procurement processes have been concluded and some are being removed while as we identify, we set in motion the process of removing. We see them as a challenge and we are attacking them.
On what will become of the National Water Ways Bill as the National Assembly (NASS) is winding down soon, Muoghalu said that winding up does not mean that the country is winding up, pointing out that government is a continuum.
“If they are not able to finish whatever they have to do this time around, the next Assembly will continue and complete it. The important thing is that bills that are meant for the benefit of our people will be looked at from that perspective and addressed. If this Assembly can’t finish, it next Assembly will continue, that’s why government is a continuum”.
