The uncompleted Mpu/Ishiagu dam project has led to death of many Ishiagu residents and rendered thousands homeless, Ebonyi State Commissioner for Water Resources, Chinedu Nkah has said, warning that the situation may be worse next year.
According to him, a section of the uncompleted dam collapsed and will further aggravate the flooding of many communities in Ishiagu caused by the non-completion of the project.
The contract for the dam was awarded in 2014 by the Federal Government but the contractor abandoned the work at some stage.
Mpu, a community in Aninri local government area of Enugu State and Ishiagu in Ivo local government area of Ebonyi State, donated the lands for the dam.
It was attracted by former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu who hails from Mpu to encourage biannual farming in the area.
However, it has remained uncompleted with no hope on sight for its completion and a section of it was said to have collapsed recently worsening the situation in the area.
Nkah, who also hails from Ishiagu, lamented many residents have died due to flooding caused by the dam.
He noted that the collapse of a section of the dam will worsen the situation in the area if nothing is done about it.
He urged the Federal Government to wade in and complete the project to save lives and communities in the area.
He said: “The dam is causing a very serious disaster. That dam is not completed. It is killing a a lot of people. It has taken over a lot of farm lands. Some families have been rendered homeless in Ishiagu, and probably in the other communities too. But I am sure that in Ishiagu, a lot of families have been rendered homeless.
“And when rain falls, nobody can pass there. I raised this issue with the National Emergency Agency and SEMA during the last program we had. It’s a very big disaster. And let me also use this opportunity to draw the attention of the federal government to complete that project.
“This is very, very important because the disaster is costing us so much.Now with a section of it falling, we expect more havoc next year.”
