ENUGU – The acting Chairman, Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC), Mr Victor Muruako, on Friday commended the level and quality of work at the Ivo River Dam project in Enugu state.
Muruako expressed the satisfaction during an inspection tour of the South-East Project Verification Team to the construction project site in Mpu Village, Enugu state.
He said the level and quality of work already executed at the site was commensurate with the monies so far released by the Federal Government.
He said the N2.14 billion project, when completed, would address the drought challenge in the area and boost economy of the area.
“I must tell you that I am quite impressed with this laudable dam project in Ivo.
“This project is in line with the transformational agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan.
“If you check, you will observe that this area does not have good natural water.
“It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for anyone to get water from this ground; so you can’t even dig a borehole.
“It will take a billionaire to be able to access borehole water from this area.
“So the government remembering this people and citing this dam project in Ivo is wonderful,’’ he said.
The chairman added that: “This dam project is on course and from the documents we saw today it’s at about 60 per cent completion stage; I must tell you that we are impressed.
“And looking at the quantity of sum released we think it is also commensurate with the level and quality of work so far executed.’’
He said the federal government had committed over a billion naira towards the project.
“But I want to call on the federal government not to stop funding this Ivo river dam project.
“This dam project is critical and fundamental to the people of this community and its environs,’’ he said.
Meanwhile, the Assistant Director, Dams Projects, Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Mr Awo Emmanuel, who received the FRC team, said the contractor was not on ground because it was raining season.
He said that the area was not easily accessible so work was suspended until after the raining season.
Emmanuel noted that the hitches so far experienced in the completion of the project had to do with the “irregular release of funds. [eap_ad_1] “And the fact that the contractor had to abandon previous site when he noticed that the terrain of the dam could be hazardous to the host community’’.
Emmanuel disclosed that “due to unforeseen circumstances; the contractor exhausted the contract sum after reaching 62 per cent completion stage’’.
He, however, noted that the contractor had already applied for revision of the contract sum to enable them complete the project.
“The contractor is doing well. He is not working presently because of raining season. At this moment you cannot access the road leading to the dam and that is why he is not on site.
“But as soon as dry season sets in; all the remaining work will be completed,’’ he said. (NAN)
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