Panic Grips Communities as Cameroon Releases More Water from Dam

Panic gripped residents of Makurdi, Guma, Agatu, Gwer West and other areas affected by last year’s flooding in Benue State as the state government announced plans by Cameroonian authorities to start releasing water from Ladgo Dam. The Executive Secretary of the state Emergency Agency (SEMA), Mr. Adikpo Agbatse, had announced on the state radio station early Friday that the Cameroonian authorities would release water from the dam in the morning and enjoined the people in vulnerable areas to be on alert, particularly, when the volume of water on River Benue begins to rise. The Nation, which went round vulnerable areas in the capital city saw as people expressed fear and called on the state government to immediately provide comfortable places for them. Madam Caroline, who lives at new garage area, one of the worst hit areas during last year’s flood said that the family is already planning to relocate their children to their home state in the eastern part of the country to avoid the ugly experience of last year. According to her, “someone called my husband this morning and informed him of the radio announcement of the repeat of the flood incident anytime from now. Immediately we heard this, we started thinking of sending our children to the village to prevent them from experiencing the ugly incident of last year where we were crammed in a room that look like cubicle when the flood sacked us from here.” Also, Mr. James Atser , who lives along Gboko Road, one of the areas affected by last year’s flood, said that there was little he could do since he could not remove his house from the area but called on state government to make available a better place for people who may likely be displaced by the flood. Culled from Dailytimeng