From: Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, on Wednesday, approved N236 million for the completion of Sabke Irrigation Dam in Katsina State.
Minister of Water Resources, Alhaji Suleiman Adamu, told State House correspondents at the post-FEC briefing that the contract for the dam was initially awarded in 1997, re-awarded in 2009 after it was abandoned, but would now be completed by the current administration.
The meeting lasted for just an hour before President Buhari departed for Istandbul, Turkey, for the D8 Summit.
Adamu said, “One Memo from my ministry was considered today as part of our efforts to improve the acreage for irrigation, we have been committing ourselves to completing many of the irrigation projects we inherited in the past two years.
“One of such is the Sabke irrigation project. This is a project that started as far back as 1997 during the PTF days but was abandoned and then re-awarded in 2009, completed 95 percent by 2012 and again abandoned.
“When we came into office, I commissioned a technical audit of all the ongoing project in the ministry and because of the status of that project having attained 95 percent completion, it became a priority project because it was a low hanging fruit for us to complete.
“Unfortunately, when the contractor was mobilised to site, we found out that a lot of component of the irrigation project had been vandalised and for us to be able to put that project into effective use, we now have to do a lot of rehabilitation works and we therefore brought a memo seeking Council to give us an augmentation of about N280 million for us the able to complete the work 100 percent and make it fit for purpose and Council considered and approved this memo.”
the federal executives council can equally sit and approve the movement of federal capital from abuja to katsina. who cares? since the only issue that necessitated todays sitting was only for a dam in katsina and off the president jetted out for a meeting abroad. it is noted that inspite of cry from all shades of opinions for the president nepotistic style of governance, he is still very adamant in his katsina or his town daura now or never favouritisms where as others can go and embrace phcn naked wires.The senate have not started crying as was in todays dailies since they have abdicated their constitutional roles for synchophancy, over bloated salaries, unnecessary flamboyancy and allowed the executives to be a source of fear to them instead of them been a nightmarish body that will keep the executives to their toes for the expected checks and balances.