Break-up of Grand Nokoué : Alfred Hounnon alert

Des projets de constructions de parcs aquatiques et de lacs artificiels sont annoncés pour relever l’aspect touristique et attractif de Cotonou, la capitale économique du Bénin. Des projets qui ne trouvent pas d’échos favorables chez Alfred Houngnon. Le spécialiste en Valorisation de la Biodiversité Patrimoniale et Mobilisation Citoyenne, lors de la journée de la science et de l’innovation tenue à l’Université d’Abomey Calavi, propose des solutions en vue de leur assainissement et leur réhabilitation.

Indeed, Alfred Houngnon estime que les concepteurs font preuve de méconnaissance technique du paysage naturel et hydraulique du Littoral mais surtout de sabotage de la vision du Chef de l’État Patrice Talon. C’est à la faveur d’une analyse de la situation que Alfred Houngnon fait ses observations

C’est par un satisfecit adressé au Président de la République, Patrice Talon, dont le génie et la vision hautement prospective de développement du Bénin ne sont plus à démontrer que l’homme a lancé sa réflexion avant de faire la genèse du lac Nokoué. Ce lac créé en 1885 par le colon est « l’ensemble des cours d’eaux qui drainent les eaux pluviales suivant un exutoire jusqu’au lac Nokoué qui lui-même est une réserve temporaire avant d’atteindre l’océan Atlantique, son exutoire final » renseigne-t-il. La notion du ‘’Grand Nokoué’’ promue par le chef de l’État est une façon d’interconnecter les localités sur tous les plans. Unfortunately, la dynamique du président de la république serait galvaudée par ses collaborateurs insinue Alfred Houngnon. Il estime que les « concepteurs font preuve de méconnaissance technique du paysage naturel et hydraulique du Littoral ».

According to him, some cases of wild flooding that are observed today in Cotonou are due to bad choices made in the past. The partitioning of the Fifadji swamp is clear proof of this.. "How is it that a stream that leaves Togbin to pour its waters to Lake Nokoué, we come to deposit a weir just at the estuary of Vossa where the stream is supposed to flow into Lake Nokoué to continue its path ? he wonders. By creating in 1885 Lake Nokoue, dira-t-il « l’intention des blancs était d’ouvrir les cours d’eaux continentales sur l’océan atlantique afin d’éviter les inondations ». He insists on not understanding the logic of the development programs with the creation of water parks and artificial lakes at vau-l'eau in Cotonou. “They are restricting waterways by creating lakes, plots on watercourses which, on the contrary, need to drain water along a clear azimuth" he is offended before adding "I do not understand that studies mention everything that should be done but that programs are still coming to do the opposite and create segregation at the level of the natural water regime” protests the analyst. For him, les cadres n’ont pas compris le vison du chef de l’Etat lorsqu’il parle du Grand Nokoué. Nothing should force project designers to ignore technical standards and create things against nature "We cannot be in a vision of Grand Nokoué and say that we want to build a park or a pond on the water. C’est parce que le chef de l’Etat n’est pas encore au courant du drame qui se prépare que des gens créent du désordre autour de sa vision que cela continue » se désole Alfred Houngnon. The example is right next to us he underlines "Beyond the magnificent panoramic view offered by the Togolese coast, there is a drama that plays out in silence and does not arouse suspicion. An ecological disaster that no one talks about. In recent years, it is given to note on the Togolese coast, a gradual change in the color of the ocean”. "Let's take care. Because unfortunately the development model that ruined Togo is the photocopy that the same companies are reproducing in Cotonou. All the rivers have been partitioned from Adidogome to Tokoin to become closed lakes stinking with breeding sites and inaccessible to the average citizen. This is what is currently being produced in Cotonou”, concludes the specialist in Valorization of Heritage Biodiversity and Citizen Mobilization.

Joindre l’utile à l’agréable pour le bonheur de tous

« Je fais ainsi appel à la solidarité citoyenne, conceptual, to each other's genius, despite our strong differences of interest and appalling social disparity. I appeal to the sense of sharing and intelligent solidarity to get us off the beaten track. It is together that we crumble as a civilization, population or people. Singularity has no meaning for the progress of a nation. All solutions for sustainable development, harmonious and prestigious are available locally. Unfortunately, innovations remain stuck in the recesses of the consciences of citizens and even lignify for lack of appropriation and implementation. Otherwise, I'm not inventing anything. Several Beninese have said enough for little since 1960. La science, scholarly knowledge and resources, exist and unfortunately dispersed in the memories and laboratories of our public universities, private and home libraries. We have not succeeded in putting in place a mechanism for displaying our individual reflections in the public square (culture of secrecy and Psychosis of expropriation in the face of the fragility of property rights). The dissemination of research results in Benin is condemned to silence beyond the defense. What prevents access to information especially with this university and scientific model which is organized in a vision of occult sphere, corporatist and closed bubbles inaccessible to the community, street geniuses and politicians with power in hand. Many research works also ignore the usefulness, the essentials and cling to Western fashion in order to earn research crumbs that only end up feeding foreign databases. This malfunction also means that each time, decision-makers and politicians call on foreign expertise that is often not sufficiently informed about political emergencies. This reflection that we have been carrying out since 2008 on the water route in Cotonou and its potential, is not a dissertation but a desire to take control of your destiny where you were born. And we have the intimate conviction that we will achieve prodigious results with the broader citizen mobilization. Thank you also for being there for this ultimate support. The question of water in a given geographical space cannot be the prerogative of policies or frameworks.. It is a natural resource of great importance whose intricacies go beyond theoretical design models and political will.. It takes mobilization and it is just the journalist that you are who is the keystone of the click on the release of the theme and all the issues. Infiniment merci à vous pour votre métier sans lequel des milliers de travaux de réflexion sont restés dans l’obscurité depuis l’existence de la République ».

Arnaud ACAKPO (Coll)