Thompson Anyadike
15 November 2009
Owerri — A member of the House of Representatives as well as the House Committee Chairman on water resources Chief Johnson Akpoloba has said that part of problems of successive governments in Nigeria is abandonment of on going projects and venturing into new ones.
Chief Akpoloba said this when his Committee visited the Anambra Imo River Basin Development Authority for a facility tour of the Mgbowo Dam project sponsored by the Federal government and executed by the authority.
He maintained that the Mgbowo Dam project in Awgu LGA in Enugu State was a laudable project approved in 2004, by the National Assembly but was awarded in 2005, adding that the project must be completed in the next two years as the Assembly was ready to review the contract to ensure completion as scheduled.
The parliamentarian pointed out that some money have been appropriated by the National Assembly to the river basin for year 2009 adding that aim of their visit was to familiarize with the management to know how funds allocated to the authority last year have been used for the benefit of the people.
Chief Akpoloba lauded the River basin and the contractor handling the project and assured that the contract fee would be reviewed so that in the next two years it would be commissioned. The Mgbowo Dam project according to the contractor would supply electricity to the nearby community when completed, it also has grain drier machine, garri processing machine, maize grinding machine, and a generating set for drawing water (which was test run as at press time).
The Managing Director of the Anambra Imo River Basin development authority Engr. Chinaka Uzoho told them that all the money appropriated to his organization were prudently managed, pointing out that at a list of projects were given to them in April and they are on going.
According to him four of such projects were located in Enugu State while two are in Ebonyi State, and some of the projects are bore holes, erosion control projects e.g the Ikwano, Olokoro erosion project, in Abia State.
Also speaking the board Chairman of the basin Engr. Greg Amajuoyi lauded the efforts of the National Assembly members in making Nigerians enjoy dividends of democracy and also taking pains in visiting project areas to see things themselves.
Engr. Amajuoyi commended the Federal government on the 7 point agenda pointing out that the policy is people oriented and which would enhance Nigeria's growth.
The chairman along with other peasant farmers however commended efforts of the Gombe state Government, which they said had been protecting the interest of the local farmers. They however appealed for more quantity of fertilizer as the quantity allocated to the rural farmers had always left many of them with less than one bag.
The farmers made a strong case over prices of fertilizer which is usually pegged at between N1, 500 and N2, 500 per bag saying the commodity is supposed to be sold to them at less than N1, 000 particularly as they have lowest income and depended on farming for livelihood.
The focal person living with HIV/Aids in the state Mrs. Biaratu Abubakar urged the NGO's to draw the attention of the government to the declining state of nutrition units in all the government hospitals in the state as this has rendered personnel of the units redundant. She described the situation as very dangerous especially to Diabetes patients who need to be guided on nutrition.
Coordinator of Hunger-Free campaign, Dr. Tom Odemwingie stated that without food there would be no life, as such without farmers, there could be no nation. He advocated that local farmers should be in the centre stage in the policies and programmes relating to Agriculture.
Speaking on behalf of the coalition of NGO's, the Executive Director of Hope for the Lonely Mrs. Serah Yepwa said the campaign couldn't have come at a better time than now when all efforts by governments and concerned groups are putting more efforts to ensure food sufficiency for the nation.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2009 Daily Champion. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
