News
South-East Association
Commits N1.2 billion to Fadama
Scheme
oBy Watchdogreporters, Abuja
In South East zone of Nigeria, Fadama III Project has funded
over 2,600 subprojects to the tune of over N1.2 billion. Out of
this number, about 260 subprojects have been completed, while
the rest are at various levels of satisfactory completion. South
East Zone comprises Abia, Anambra, Eboyi, Enugu, Imo states.
These facts which, were contained in the various status reports
presented by the five Project Implementation Units (PIUs,) in
the zone.
The mission also noted that over 683 Fadama Community
Associations (FCAs) and 7,712 Fadama Users Groups (FUGs) were
already benefiting. Some of funded subprojects, according to
the reports, include rural roads, culverts, markets, storage
cold rooms, poultries, cassava processing mills, palm oil
processing mills, fish ponds, piggeries, rice mills, to mention
but a few.
Reacting on the reports, the Team Leader, Obadiah Tohomdet,
noted that what was currently happening in the zone was
encouraging urging beneficiaries in the zone to maximize the
benefits of the Project.
He added that the World Bank had already made available 250M USD,
while the Federal, State, Local Governments and the primary
beneficiaries were providing the balance of 200M USD of the
total 450m USD package for the entire Project.
In another development, the Governor of Ebony State, Chief
Martin Elechi, has attributed the State Government’s inability
to respond, timely, to Development Partners conditionality,
towards payment of Government Counterpart Fund Contribution, to
the ‘numerous conflicting priorities facing the Government.’
Exchanging views with the 4th World Bank/Federal Government
Supervision Mission, in his Office, the Governor said that aside
from Fadama III Project, there were other development
partners-sponsored Projects, for which Government had not been
regular in meeting that obligation, for what he referred as the
economic meltdown of the state.
Governor Elechi, however, noted that the State Government was in
the process of stream-ling her activities, in order to meet the
needs of the people, but was not specific on whether development
partners Projects would continue to benefit from Government’s
counterpart funding.
“The state Government would review her further participation in
the Project, and come up with proposals which would be forwarded
to the World Bank for possible consideration”, said Governor
Elechi.
Earlier in his remarks, the Team Leader, Obadiah Tohomdet,
recalled that Ebonyi State had recorded some firsts in such
areas as release of preparatory funds, state launch of the
Project as well as subprojects implementation.
Recalling that the State was in arrears of 2010 and 2011
counterpart funds, the Team Leader appealed to the Governor to
offset all outstanding counterpart funds, more so where Fadama
III Project concept tallied with what the State Government was
doing.
He added that the objective of the Mission was to assess the
level of Project implementation, with a view to proffering
solutions that would help move the Project forward and ensure
its sustainability. It would be recalled that the World Bank
credit would be interest free, for over a period of 40 years
with a grace period of 10 years before payment of the capital
commences.
Participants at the Mission included the World Bank Team, the
NFCO Team led by the Senior Community Development Specialist,
Dr. V C Agu, representatives from the Federal Ministry of
Finance, Zonal Project Coordinator for South East, Dr. C A Udah,
the five Project Coordinators for the Zone and their PIU
members, Component IV Desk Officers, Non-Governmental
Organisations and others.
During the three-day mission held in Abakaliki, Ebonyi state
capital focused on implementation reports from the State Fadama
Offices as well as field visits to some subproject sites in
Ebonyi State.
|
