adminI had listened to the address of the presidency at the Environmental Summit of the United Nations in Glasgow lately last year, and the address delivered at the United Nations General Assembly summit (UNGA 77) last month, and lastly, the 1st October 2022 address by the President, but the President did not raise the issue of Lagdo dam.
I recall that NEMA had given an SOS alert that some states in Nigeria will experience flood, which would be as a result of the overflow and excess release of water from the Lagdo dam.
Considering the fact that Adamawa is a neighbouring state to Cameroon, where the River Benue begins from, and in which the the Lagdo dam is located, the water released from the dam flows directly into the River Benue and through Login State in the North Central, it converges with the River Niger and thence, flows in to the Atlantic ocean.
Report has it that the River Benue cannot accommodate the volume of water, released from the Lagdo dam and therefore, inevitably lead to massive flood in the neighboring states.
The Nigeria government remains silent in the face of this disaster. Nigeria is a country of intellectuals, well versed in international law who can advise the presidency on what could be done to solve the issue.
it is my humble opinion that there should be a kind of an international agreement (treaty) as per the maintenance of the dam between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Cameroon.
The government of Cameroon should hire the services of experts who would maintain the dam in order to mitigate the occurrence of flood that has been causing an unprecedented hardship in the Northeastern Nigeria.
Failure to honour the comity, the Nigerian government will be at liberty to pursue the matter at the ICJ.
Reference
The Nation Online reported vide: (https://www.google.com/amp/s/thenationonlineng.net/13-states-prone-to-flood-as-cameroon-opens-lagdo-dam-nema/amp/#cobssid=s )
About the Author
Mujahid Muhammad Musa is a law student of Usmanu Danfodio University Sokoto, an International law enthusiast. He is a avid writer and legal researcher. He has many publications to his name. He can be reached via: 09030834295
Email: [email protected]
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