UBRBDA Yola Celebrates 2024 World Rivers Day At Chouchi-River

By Hassan Umar Shallpella

Nigerians have been urged to renew their commitment by safeguarding rivers to ensure long term health and vitality.

The Acting Managing Director, Upper Benue Rivers Basin Development Authority, Yola, Engineer Caleb Terkuma Tyowuah made the plea while addressing gathering at the River Chouchi-Irrigation Project to mark this year’s World Rivers Day.

He said the day was set aside to remind people on importance of protecting and preserving rivers for future generations as well as raise awareness of the threats that could endangered waterways around the world.

Engineer Tyowuah explained that rivers are endangered by human activities like deforestation; dumping of refuse and building along waterways constitute serious effect like flooding, outbreak of epidemics as well as breeding mosquitoes.

He explained that the theme for this year’s celebration is ‘the incredible natural, cultural and recreational values of rivers and streams in our communities’ while Nigeria celebrates the day with a sub-theme, ‘protect our rivers from pollution’.

He stated that Nigeria has joined over sixty other countries worldwide in celebrating the significance of rivers which are vital that sustained life and earth.

The Acting Managing Director, urged people to join hands with government in its campaign efforts to curb practices by human that endangered the rivers and allow free flow of waters into existing river channels and drainages.

In her goodwill message, the Controller, Federal Ministry of Environment, Yola field office, Hajiya Safiya Muhammad Abubakar emphasized the need for people to engage in tree planting so as to protect the environment.

She said the ministry will launch public awareness campaigns to educate the communities about dangers of pollution and steps to minimize its impact.

There were also goodwill messages from the state Commissioners of Environment, Agriculture and District head of Yola.

The event was climax with tree planting and cleaning of river side.