Floods: FG Orders Integrity Tests For Dams ‘To Avert Future Disasters’

President Bola Tinubu has ordered that integrity tests be carried out on all dams in the country to ‘avert future disasters’.

The president’s order comes after the Alau dam in Maiduguri ruptured on September 10, resulting in the worst flooding the state has experienced in 30 years.

Tinubu, during his 64th Independence anniversary, said his administration has been responding to natural disasters, particularly the aforementioned flood.

He said: “Our government has been responding to the recent natural disasters, particularly the flooding in parts of the country. Our government has also ordered integrity tests of all our dams in the country to avert future disasters.”

The flood displaced over one million people, who have found shelter in different Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps. During their different visits to condole with the people of the state, the president and vice president assured them of their support and approved a Disaster Relief Fund. In his independence speech, Tinubu also emphasised that his administration will always stand with the people in their times of trouble.

“After Vice President Kashim Shettima visited Maiduguri, I also visited to assure our people that this federal government will always stand with our people in their times of trouble. At the last meeting of the Federal Executive Council, we approved a Disaster Relief Fund to mobilise private and public sector funds to help us respond faster to emergencies.

“The economy is undergoing the necessary reforms and retooling to serve us better and more sustainably. If we do not correct the fiscal misalignments that led to the current economic downturn, our country will face an uncertain future and the peril of unimaginable consequences.”

Measures To Reduce Cost Of Living
The president also touched on one of the key concerns of the masses, which is the high cost of living in the country. He pointed out that the rise in the cost of food is not peculiar to Nigeria alone, as it is a global concern, but his administration is implementing measures to cushion the hardship being experienced by the people.

“The central concern of our people today is the high cost of living, especially food costs. This concern is shared by many around the globe as prices and the cost of living continue to rise worldwide. My fellow Nigerians, be assured that we are implementing many measures to reduce the cost of living here at home.”

He also touched on measures to help alleviate the masses’ hardships regarding food security. He mentioned his administration’s investment in mechanised farming and adopting the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) for mass transit with private sector players.

“I commend the Governors particularly, in Kebbi, Niger, Jigawa, Kwara, Nasarawa, and the Southwest Governors that have embraced our agricultural production programme. I urge other states to join the Federal Government in investing in mechanised farming. We are playing our part by supplying fertilizer and making tractors and other farm equipment available. Last week, the Federal Executive Council approved establishing a local assembly plant for 2000 John Deere tractors, combine harvesters, disc riders, bottom ploughs and other farm equipment. The plant has a completion time of six months.

“Our energy transition programme is on course. We are expanding the adoption of the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas for mass transit with private sector players. The Federal Government is ready to assist the thirty-six States and FCT in acquiring CNG buses for cheaper public transportation,” the president said.

Restoring Peace To Communities
In the fight against insecurity in the country, President Tinubu noted that his administration has eliminated more than 300 Boko Haram and bandit commanders within just one year in office, which is the fastest effort that has been recorded so far.

On the security front, I am happy to announce to you, my compatriots, that our administration is winning the war on terror and banditry. Our target is to eliminate all the threats of Boko Haram, banditry, kidnapping for ransom, and the scourge of all forms of violent extremism. Within one year, our government has eliminated Boko Haram and bandit commanders faster than ever. As of the last count, over 300 Boko Haram and bandit commanders have been eliminated by our gallant troops in the Northeast, Northwest, and some other parts of the country.

His reassurance that the federal government is winning the war against insecurity is evident in the fact that peace has been restored to hundreds of homes in North, and the people have been able to return home.

“We have restored peace to hundreds of communities in the North, and thousands of our people have been able to return home. It is an unfinished business, which our security agencies are committed to ending as quickly as possible. As soon as we can restore peace to many communities in the troubled parts of the North, our farmers can return to their farms. We expect to see a leap in food production and a downward spiral in food costs. I promise you, we shall not falter on this,” the president said during his 64th independence anniversary speech in Abuja.