Nsukka Group Petitions FG Over Abandoned Adada Dam

The Nsukka Zonal Forum, Thursday, petitioned the minister of water resources, Dr Suleiman Adamu, over the stoppage of work on the Adada Dam project in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State. The project began in 2011, THE WHISTLER learnt.

In the letter entitled, ‘Re: Completion of Adada Dam project’, which was signed by the group’s chairman, Chijioke Attah, and the secretary, Chidi Onah Esq, the group regretted that the federal government abandoned the water scheme meant to provide potable water to Nsukka and its environs.

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According to the letter, “In 2011, the federal government, through your ministry, awarded a contract for the construction of the Adada Dam project scheduled to take 24 months for completion at the cost of N2.6bn. The project, which was conceived to provide potable water to Nsukka metropolis and environs, was also envisaged to provide ancillary irrigation services to the largely agrarian communities in the area. After nine years, the project, awarded to ROUDO Nigeria Ltd, has remained largely on the drawing board.”

The group expressed worry over the abandonment of the project despite huge funds already committed to the scheme, revealing that the delay was a result of non-funding by the federal government.

It said, “The contractor has consistently blamed non-funding of the project by your ministry as responsible for the undue delay and almost abandonment of the project. The two-phase project, according to the contractor, is almost 95 per cent completed for the first phase while the second phase is yet to take off. We therefore appeal to you to use your good offices to facilitate the speedy release of funds for the prompt completion of this all-important project that will be serving about six local government areas in Enugu State.”

The group further stated that the Adarice Project, which is a federal government programme aimed at harvesting the rice potentials of the area, was programmed to flourish through irrigation facilities from the proposed Adada Dam project, and called on Minister Adamu to make good the federal government’s promises by completing the water scheme to uplift the living standards of the people of the area.

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