By Oluwatoyin Adegoke
The Federal Government says it has commenced partial commercialization of all the 12 River Basin Dams across the country as parts of measures to achieve food security and boost the economy.
The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Professor Joseph Utsev made this known during a familiarisation tour of the Oyan Dam, in Abeokuta North Local Government Area of Ogun State.
Professor Utsev said the plan would include providing job opportunities for the youths by promoting agricultural growth to ensure self sufficiency in food production, using the irrigation system.
Assessing the facilities, the Minister said the Oyan Dam which was being managed to control flooding and enhance irrigation for agricultural purposes did not pose any threat to the environment and had not been responsible for the flooding witnessed in parts of the state.
He urged the state government to facilitate the relocation of residents from flood prone areas and check indiscriminate dumping of refuse along the water ways.
In a remark, Governor Dapo Abiodun solicited the Federal Government’s intervention to address the problems in the flood – affected communities in Ogun state, especially along the borderlines with Lagos State.
Governor Abiodun said the state government was committed to efforts reduce the occurrence of natural disasters but lacked the required expertise and financial strength to tackle flooding in the affected areas.
Earlier, the Managing Director, Ogun Osun River Basin Development Authority, OORBDA, Mr Olufemi Odumosu had informed the Minister that the 270 million – cubic – foot water reservoir covering about 4,000 hectares was a multipurpose facility that was being managed effectively by the Agency.
Mr Odumosu also said the Oyan Dam had been in perfect condition and could not have caused the recent flooding in parts of the state.
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