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| Hon. Ogar Emmanuel Oko, PRO Ijegu Ojor Community |
IJEGU OJOR COMMUNITY FROWNS AT THE ABANDONMENT OF THE IJEGU DAM/IRRIGATION RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT, THREATENS LEGAL ACTION AGAINST BASIN AUTHORITY.
The Public Relation Officer PRO of ijegu Ojor community in Yala LGA of Cross River state, Hon. Ogar Emmanuel Oko has expressed his annoyance and displeasure with the basin authority for the abandonment of the Ijegu Dam and irrigation project which large chunk of money was released by President Mohammed Buhari for its reconstruction.
Hon Ogar while speaking to pressmen said that, former President Olusegun Obasanjo proposed the construction of the dam in Ijegu community and after the military era of obasenjo, Alhaji Shehu Shagari continued with the project.
According to Ogar the project was abandoned as times went on but recently, in January 22nd,2018, the federal government under Buhari approved the sum of #497million for the reconstruction of ijegu dam and irrigation project under the Cross River Basin authority which is an agency under the federal ministry of water resources.
In the year 2019 another approval was made and in the 2020 budget, the sum of #95m was released for the reconstruction of the dam but nothing is happening there, the site is lying fallow, Ogar said.
According to Ogar, he has pleaded and still pleading with the Managing Director of Cross River Basin authority, Engr Bassey Nkposong to begin work in the site which is already over taken by weed, yet he is receiving satisfactory response to his question on why work is not going on in the site.
Ogar who displayed the MoU to the press men lamented that the agreement entered into between the authority and host community has been bridged, as economic trees fruit crops, etc, has been destroyed without compensation by the Basin authority even when renumeration was done in 2017, no compensation has been made as the people are becoming restive. Ogar called on the FG under PMB who has approved the whopping sum of money for the project to investigate and punish those sitting on the fund meant for this project and those dismantling and evacuating some installations in the site to unknown location because youths are planning to revotes.
Ogar who spoke on the importance of the dam to the host community and its environs opined that the dam will help in channelling water body and distributing water for agricultural utility.
Answering questions from pressmen, Ogar said the dam will serve four community and the population of the four community according to 2006 population census is about 500.
Reacting to Question about his earlier petition to the basin authority and the reaction by the management, Ogar cleared that, the letter wasn't a petition actually, but an open letter requesting for some vital information because the host community do not know where the land for the project begins and ends as a result of the bridge in the agreement entered into by the Basin authority and the host community. "There's no beacon stone, no map. All I requested was the map and survey of the land, so we may know where the land begins and terminates. But under the freedom of information act that requires that the MD reply my letter in seven days, it is almost three weeks the authority hasn't replied to my request neither have I been communicated".
Ogar said, he may approach the court to seek legal redress. But said he may still write another letter to the authority if occasion demands.
In conclusion, Ogar vowed to approach the matter under the precept of the law. He called on the MD Cross River Basin authority and the minister for water resources to begin immediate reconstruction of the Dam/Irrigation project in Ijegu. According to Ogar, it is ridiculous that a project that started about 40 years ago has not been completed.
He Called on the Economy and Financial Crime Commission EFCC to wade into the matter because it is as if the fund meant for the project has been misappropriated or syphoned.
TheEaglsVoice-ADOGA, Augustine Ofana reporting from Calabar.
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