University Lecturer in the Department of Geology at the University of Port Harcourt and former Project Coordinator, the HydroCarbon Pollution and Remediation Project (HYPREP), Dr. Ferdinand Giadom has called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to conduct an integrity checks on all national dams in the country.
Dr. Giadom who spoke to newsmen at the 9th Annual International Conference and Exhitition of the National Association of Engineering Geology and Environment held in Port Harcourt Rivers State stated that integrity tests should be conducted on all existing dams in the country to ascertain the capacity structure of the dams which he said had become too old to contain the volume of water designed for them.
According to Dr. Giadom, we have a sorry state of the environment in Nigeria, where extraction and utilization of our minerals, petroleum and other natural resources in the country has made it such that the wastes from these minerals extracted are indiscriminately discharged into the environment.
The University Don explained that humanity was undergoing an interesting phase in the life of the planet adding that the issues of climatic change has brought a lot of complications on the environment.
On the devastating flooding in Maiduguri, Bornu state and other states in the country, the former HYPREP coordinator explained that even though the area lies around the Sahel region, there are still rivers that drain into most part of Bornu and into the lake Chad basin in addition to the current excessive precipitation in the atmosphere. “When the earth temperature rises, the capacity of the air or moisture increases, ascends and falls back as rain” he explained.
Dr. Giadom attributed the flooding that has devasted Maiduguri and other states in the country to the consequences of global warming that had induced pressure on exsting dams and rivers.
He therefore expressed the commitment of members of NAEGE to make it’s Professionals services available to the authorities for the development of the country adding that several scientific papers put together at the conference was designed to explore and proffer solutions to the myriads of problems affecting the country.
Dr. Giadom therefore called on those in authority to adhere to the recommendations of Professionals in solving the numerous environmental challenges in the country.
On the ongoing clean up of Ogoni land, Dr. Giadom stated that as HYPREP Coordinator, he engaged members of NAEGE and other Professionals in proffering solutions for remediation activities in the Ogoni clean up, adding that intensive and extensive site characteristics are required to understanding the nature and problems of the environmental.
“What I did between 2010 and 2022 when I was in charge was to ensure that for proper environmental remediations to be carried out, that we do extensive and intensive site characterisation. To some, they may see it as a waste of resources but it is the first step that enabled us to plan our site remedial actions,” he said.
Dr. Giadom expressed confidence that HYPREP was implementing the remediation activities in tandem with the United Nations Environmental Programes (UNEP) reports stating that in the entire 266 page reports of UNEP, there was no where monetary gains was recommended to be shared as benefits to individuals or groups. “I have satisfied my conscience. I have put in my very best and I believe that posterity should be the judge.The UNEP reports are specific and if ,” Dr Giadom declared.
