NASS National Assembly inspects N300m FG intervention
projects in Bakassi
The Chairman, Senate Committee on States and Local
Government Administration, spoke to newsmen at the projects’ sites.
The Senate Committee on States and Local Government
Administration and the House of Representatives Committee on Special duties on
Tuesday commenced inspection of Federal Government’s N300 million intervention
projects in Bakassi Local Government of Cross River.
Sen. Abdullahi Gumel, the Chairman, Senate Committee on
States and Local Government Administration, told newsmen at the projects’ sites
that oversight of Bakassi projects became necessary following allegations of
negligence.
He said the committees were on ground to inspect projects
carried out by the Border Communities
Development Agency (BCDA) of the Federal Government and to see the efforts made
by the state government in that regard.
He said “the Border Communities Development Agency is an
intervention agency and having spent about N300 million here, I am impressed
with what we have seen on ground.
“The communities have primary health care centre, border
community markets, outpost, schools, water projects and new roads.
“So, the impression created that our brothers and sisters
displaced from Bakassi are abandoned is not true, you have all seen as much
too.
“The Federal Government is working and in line with the
change mantra, we are going to do more in this area.”
Gumel gave the assurance that the National Assembly,
particularly the Senate, would continue to play its part by way of oversight,
enactment of laws and improved funding to ameliorate the sufferings of people
living in border communities.
Similarly, Mr Nasiru Daura, the Chairman, House of
Representatives Committee on Special Duties, commended the BCDA for executing
the projects in spite of the agency’s poor funding.
He said “this is my first time in the Bakassi area and I am
really impressed with government’s presence, especially with regards to the
roads from Calabar.’’
He, however, urged the Agency to deliver standard facilities
that would stand the test of time, adding that any attempt to compromise
quality would not be accepted by the legislature.
“We are impressed with the projects we have seen; there are
a few challenges which I think are mainly due to paucity of funds.
“We have made our observations known with regard to some
technicalities in the projects executed particularly concerning the security
out-post the Agency is constructing for the Immigration Service, the Nigerian
Army, Customs service and the Police.
“The contractor needs to do a good job because what we have
seen on ground falls short of the required standard.
“If you compare it to other projects within the same
environment, the work is poorly done.
“With the amount of money we were told would be spent there,
20 per cent of which had already been disbursed, there was huge room for
improvement.
“The contractor and the inspecting agency have to take note
of that to ensure that standard is what has been specified by the engineers,”
Daura said.
He also urged the Federal Government and other
stakeholders not to relent in their
efforts to cater for border communities.
The Executive Secretary of BCDA, Mr Numoipre Wills, said the
Agency had within its limited budget executed projects in Bakassi as part of
Federal Government’s determination to reach out to Bakassi people.
He said “the Bakassi Local Government in Cross River has
different border communities which have difficulties accessing healthcare,
power, education, water and other social amenities.”
Wills listed some of the projects executed in Bakassi to
include the construction of international border market in Ikang, a healthcare
centre with quarters for doctors and a school, both situated in Ifiang-Ayong.
“Two projects have also been completed and are ready for
inauguration, while some are yet to be completed.
“The two projects that have been completed are old projects
while the uncompleted projects are from the 2016 budget.
“So far, some of the contractors are not doing well, while
some have performed considerably well.’’
On the estimate for the projects so far, the executive
secretary said “the security post cost about N27 million, while the healthcare
centre cost about N33 million.”
He called for improved budgetary allocation to the Agency to
enable it to carry out its mandate effectively.
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