FEC
approves N8b for Ogunpa, Aba water schemes
By
Chesa Chesa
State
House Correspondent,
Abuja
The
Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday approved the sum of N6.5 billion
for the middle-Ogunpa river channelisation project in Ibadan to avert the
persistent flooding that has always claimed several lives in the city.
The
contract is being awarded to a new firm, RCC Nigeria Limited, while the previous
contractor that abandoned the project has been taken to the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The
approval was sequel to a memorandum presented to FEC by the Ministry of Special
Duties. Included in the memo and also approved were two other ecological
projects – one in Bauchi State (N226 million) and the other is for gully
erosion control in Federal Government College, Maiduguri (N191millon).
The
council meeting, which was presided over by Vice President Atiku Abubakar,
similarly approved N1.63 billion for rehabilitation of Aba Water Supply Scheme
to provide 70 million litres of water per day to over 1.2 million residents.
According
to the Minister of Water Resources, Muktar Shagari, the project, which was one
of the campaign promises of President Olusegun Obasanjo, would provide water to
Aba and its environs. The scheme is to be completed next year.
He
expressed hope that the Abia State government would complement the effort by
commencing its own water scheme to ensure up to two million residents have
access to potable water.
The
Minister of Power and Steel, Liyel Imoke, also disclosed that while a new
330-megawatts power station to cost N21.8 billion is to be built at Alaoji, Abia
State, another one of over 400 megawatts built by AGIP in Asaba, Delta State, to
be commissioned by Obasanjo next month has been vandalised and would be rendered
inactive for a few weeks after the commissioning to enable engineers replace the
stolen conductors and other equipment.
“This
is a sad situation that we are faced with. Soon after the president commissions
that plant, we are going to shut it down for a week to 10 days because the
private transmission line that was constructed has been vandalised.
“It is clearly an act of sabotage. We cannot change the commissioning date, the plant is ready, the power is ready to go into the grid, but these vandals have continued with their nefarious activities and they are going to delay the time that we are going to get power from this unit,” the minister said.
- Source - Daily Independent, March 17 2005