Buhari Inaugurates Erosion Control Project in Nasarawa

Buhari Inaugurates Erosion Control Project in Nasarawa

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari has inaugurated flood and erosion control project in Nasarawa State in order to put an end to the age-long problem of gully erosion and flooding within the Karu community in the state.

The President who was represented by the Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Solomon Dalong, while handing over the projects in Abuja, yesterday said that the two projects: the Flood and Erosion Control Along Abacha Road, Old Karu, FCT, Abuja, and the construction of Three-cell box culvert and road improvement work at Abacha Road, Karu, Nasarawa State, were executed by the federal government through the Ecological Fund Office (EFO) in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).

He added that the projects were part of ecological intervention projects whose contracts were awarded by the Ecological Fund Office Tenders Board (EFOTB) on May 28, 2018 and November 11, 2018, respectively.

Buhari stated: “The flood and erosion control along Abacha road, old Karu, FCT, Abuja, was first awarded to check flooding, erosion and improve access within the community and its environs.

“The second contract, which is the construction of three-cell box culvert and road improvement works at Abacha road, was awarded to capture scopes that could not be accommodated in the first contract.

“The age-long problem of gully erosion and flooding within this community cannot be overemphasised. And I have no doubts in my mind that these government’s interventions would bring a huge relief to the communities around this environ.

Having successfully completed these projects, there is no doubts that the living standard of the people and engender improved economic activities in the communities within this environ. This would at the same time reduce dangers to lives and properties associated with erosion and persistent flooding that had been experienced here in time past.”

The president noted that there was no doubt that the project would provide a window of opportunities for economic growth around this environ at this critical time of nation building,” he explained.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, EFO, Dr. Habiba Lawal, said that the projects were initiated through a request for an urgent intervention forwarded to the Ecological Fund Office in order to arrest the continuous erosion and flood menace in Karu Community and to check further environmental degradation, loss of lives and properties.

She stressed that the timely completion of these projects were made possible through the efforts of the project contractors, Messrs Incipient Nigeria Limited and AH Properties and Construction Limited who had worked tirelessly to ensure minimum loss of time in the project implementation schedule and complemented by very close monitoring and prompt honouring of contractual obligations by the EFO.

“The commissioning and handing over of the projects to the benefitting community is expected to achieve the dual purpose of enabling the host community to take over and exercise ownership over the project, to ensure its maintenance and sustainability. The resources which the Federal Government had committed to these projects must not be allowed to go to waste,” he added.

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