The Senate has mandated its Committee on Water Resources to investigate the delay in the execution of Kagara dam in Niger state despite the receipt of funding to the tune of N7.7 billion from the Federal Government.
Of more concern to the Senate was the fact that in spite of the huge funding and period of construction spanning almost 27 years, the Committee has two weeks to report its finding back to plenary.
The upper chamber also called on the Federal Government to consider the socio-economic importance of the project and see to its completion without further delay.
These were resolutions reached by the Senate sequel to the consideration of motion during plenary on Thursday.
Sponsor of the motion, Senator Sani Musa (APC, Niger East), disclosed that the Kagara dam was first conceived and awarded by the Niger State Government to a Kano state-based company, WRECA, in 1992.
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The project, according to Senator Musa, was conceptualised to provide potable water and irrigation to Kagara and its environs.
He added that due to the importance of the project, the Federal Government took over its execution and awarded the same to Biwater Shellaber (Nig.) Limited in December 1992 at the cost of N199, 222,596.
The lawmaker said the project suffered neglect because of lack of funding which necessitated its renegotiation in the year 2001 at the cost of N2,219,746,244.75.
He further disclosed that the Upper Niger River Basin Development Authority, which is the supervising agency, issued a revised estimated cost to complete the project in the year 2010 pegged at N5,555,416,689.78.
“If this project continues to be operated in a ‘stop and go’ manner, the dream of our people for potable water and economic empowerment through irrigation farming will remain a mirage,” Senator Musa said.
Senator Sani Musa is the sponsor of the vexed anti-free speech bill “protection from internet falsehood and manipulations bill, 2019”