The House of Representatives directed its Committee on Water Resources to work with the Ministry of Water Resources to examine the contract performance of the Ivo Dam project, which connects Ebonyi and Enugu States, and to complete the project. The call came after the plenary considered a resolution headed “Need to Complete the IVO Dam Project in Ebonyi and Enugu States” sponsored by Hon. Makwe Livinus Makwe. Hon. Makwe, who introduced the motion, recalled that in 2014, the Federal Ministry of Water Resources awarded a contract to Messrs Anbeez Services Nigeria Limited to build the Ivo Dam at the confluence of the Ivo and Ikeh rivers on the border of Ivo Local Government Area, Ebonyi State, and Aninri Local Government Area, Enugu State.
He stated that while Mpu and Okpanku communities in Enugu State’s Aninri Local Government Area were downstream of the dam, Ngwogwo, Amaokwe, Okue, and Amaeke communities in Ishiagu, Ivo Local Government Area were upstream. He stated that the Federal Government specifically embarked on the Dam project for irrigation farming, fishery, and electricity generation in the interest of communities in Ebonyi and Enugu States that are predominantly agrarian farmers in order to encourage the cultivation of edible and industrial crops, food processing, and Agro-allied businesses, and farm product marketing.
Farmlands and rural settlements have remained permanently flooded.
Despite the fact that the building of the dam has reached an advanced stage, the project was abandoned due to a lack of money, resulting in the impoundment of water on the upstream side, particularly during the rainy seasons. Without the spillway, farmlands and rural settlements in the upstream communities of Ngwogwo, Amaokwe, Okue, and Amaeke are swamped and plundered by the flood. Until the project’s demise, these settlements had never been flooded or plundered by water.
Given that throughout the rainy seasons, the embankment itself aggravates the flooding, which he said keeps rising and spreads to inland communities with great velocity, Hon. Makwe expressed disappointment that with the withdrawal of the Dam embankment Project, without the spillway, over 40,000 acres of arable farmlands and rural settlements have remained permanently flooded. This has forced over 10,000 families to become homeless and without a place to live. He claimed that since the project was abandoned, the flood has turned into a threat and death trap for the unfortunate farmers, especially during the rainy season when they resort to utilizing makeshift canoes to reach their distant farmlands and perish in the process.
The FG should review the circumstances of not completing the dam.
Mrs. Udu Ajah drowned on November 15, 2020, and Mr. Roland Ajah Orji and Mr. Ivoke Ajah Victor perished in a flood on December 8, 2020, while traveling back to their far-off farms in a locally-made canoe. Similar to how Mr. Cletus Okorie died in the same dam related flood on December 20, 2020, further deaths were reported between 2020 and 2022. The Federal Ministry of Water Resources and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) have received numerous letters from the affected villages pleading for assistance, but to no avail.
Only the Mpu and Okpanku Communities in Enugu State have benefited from NEMA personnel’s occasional visits to the area to assess the situation and later deliver relief supplies; in contrast, the Ngwogwo, Amaokwe, Okue, and Amaeke Communities of the Ivo Local Government Area in Ebonyi State suffered the worst damage and received the least attention. He emphasized the urgent necessity for the Federal Government to evaluate the circumstances surrounding the Ivo Dam project’s failure to be completed as planned in order to avert calamities and the loss of life and property.
Committees on Water Resources and Emergency should be in compliance.
By adopting the motion, the House urged the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to act quickly to address the situation facing the Ngwogwo, Amaokwe, Okue, and Amaeke Communities of the Ivo Local Government Area in Ebonyi State and provide aid, shelter, and alternative sources of income until the Ivo dam is finished. The Committees on Water Resources and Emergency and Disaster Preparedness were instructed to ensure that the resolution was followed.
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FG should finish the construction of Ivo dam – The FG has been urged to complete the Dam linking Ebonyi and Enugu State. – Express your point of view.
The government should ensure the dam linking ebonyi and Enugu is completed. It will help them so much to conserve water. They can use it to even generate electricity.
All hands must be on deck in the construction of the dam so as to finish on time for people consumption because I know many people in those area doesn’t have access to good portable water and lots of people there also will nursing unnecessary ailment for not having a good portable water.
The Ivo Dam project’s contract performance will be investigated thanks to a directive given by the House of Representatives to its Committee on Water Resources to investigate the matter in conjunction with the Ministry of Water Resources.
In order to further the welfare of the people living in Ebonyi, the Federal Government decided to construct a dam for the purpose of facilitating irrigation farming, fishing, and the generation of electricity.
To support the production of edible and industrial crops, food processing, and Agro-allied companies, and farm product marketing in states that are predominately agrarian in order to meet the demand in those states for farm products.
If there wasn’t a spillway, the agricultural lands and rural communities in the upstream communities would be in danger.
In spite of the fact that construction of the dam had reached a more advanced level, the project was scrapped because there was insufficient funding.
The Federal Government should evaluate the circumstances surrounding the Ivo Dam project’s failure to be completed as planned in order to avert calamities and the loss of life and property.
As a result of the fact that the embankment itself makes flooding worse during the wet season, which, according to him, continues to get worse and rapidly extends to settlements located further inland,
During the rainy season, when they must travel great distances to their farms, the flood has become a hazard and death trap for the poor farmers who must use improvised canoes to complete the journey.
construction of the dam should be expedite to ensure residents of the area have access to clean water.
FG should finish the construction of Ivo dam. Government need to complete the dam project between Ebonyi and Enugu State.
Finishing of construction of dam linking to Enugu and Ebonyi need to be done for them to be able to have access to clean water so hand to hand with all the necessary agent to finish the dam
The finishing up of the ivo dam.is jot debatable because of its utmost importance to the surrounding states that are in need of good portable water and also this will also help the farmers.
In order to meet the demand for farm products in states that are mostly agricultural, encourage the cultivation of edible and industrial crops, food processing, agro-allied businesses, and farm product marketing.
The Federal Government made the decision to build a dam in order to facilitate irrigated farming, fishing, and the production of energy in order to improve the welfare of the residents of Ebonyi.
For the country not to experience flooding again, everything required to prevent such should be made available in this year 2023. Therefore, federal government should please complete the Dam linking Ebonyi and Enugu.
We are gradually approaching the raining season. The federal government should please complete the Dam linking Ebonyi and Enugu State to be able to control the inflow of water to prevent flooding and also to use it in generating electricity.
In order to prevent disasters, as well as the loss of life and property, the Federal Government ought to conduct an investigation into the factors that led to the Ivo Dam project not being finished in accordance with its original schedule.
Because many people in those areas don’t have access to decent portable water, all hands must be on deck to finish the dam on time for people to drink.
To encourage food and industrial crop production, food processing, Agro-allied businesses, and farm product marketing in states with a large agricultural sector to meet local demand.