Reps probe abandoned 31-year-old Zobe Dam

The project was started by the civilian administration of former President Alhaji Shehu Shagari in 1983 and was expected to have capacity for 177 million cubic metres, equivalent to 171 billion litres, of water.It was also meant to provide water for irrigation to hundreds of farmers. It was completed and commissioned in 1983 but could […]

The project was started by the civilian administration of former President Alhaji Shehu Shagari in 1983 and was expected to have capacity for 177 million cubic metres, equivalent to 171 billion litres, of water.
It was also meant to provide water for irrigation to hundreds of farmers. It was completed and commissioned in 1983 but could not be put to use by the communities due to non-completion of a vital component – the water treatment plant.
For many years, the federal government has been making provision for the completion of the water treatment plant in the annual budgets but without implementation.
The dam, when fully completed, also has the capacity to generate hydroelectric power enough to serve about three states in the country in addition to providing water for rice farming which will provide source of livelihood to hundreds of people in the affected areas.
In 2012, efforts were made to vote money for the completion of the project by the member representing Dutsin Ma/Kurfi Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Rep. Awwalu Sani Rawayau.
The money was added to the budgetary allocation of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources but on getting to the Budget Office of the Federation, it was removed, according to Rep. Rawayau.
Rather, a paltry sum of N61 million was provided for the project which was grossly inadequate to complete the construction of the water treatment plant.
“This is a typical example of how the federal government has been abandoning laudable projects for many decades,” Rep. Rawayau lamented.
Just before the house proceeded for the Sallah recess, the green chamber passed a motion mandating its committee on water resources to probe the abandonment of the project.
This was sequel to a motion on the matter sponsored by Rep. Rawayau who prayed the house to ensure that money is made available in the budget for the completion of the project.
Consequently, the house mandated its water resources committee to liaise with the water resources ministry in coming up with the actual amount needed for the completion of the project.
This directive followed what the house described as “paltry” allocations of N61 million, N122 million, N63 million in the successive budgets of 2012, 2013 and 2014, respectively.
In a motion moved by Rep Auwalu Sani (PDP, Katsina), the lawmaker said the project was meant to be a water treatment plant as well as to serve as irrigation purposes for the communities of Dutsin-Ma, Karofi, Kafin-Soli, Kankiya, Kurfi and Katsina.
“Thirty years after completion, the dam is yet to be put into use owing to the fact that the second leg of the project which includes the construction of water treatment plant that would provide water for both domestic and industrial uses, and water channels for irrigation were abandoned due to lack of funds,” the lawmaker said.
“If the water treatment plant had been completed, it would also have been providing water for irrigation of 1,200 hectares of farm land, thereby boosting the economic well-being of the people and improving the food security of the nation,” he said.
He said though government awarded an over N6 billion contract in 2009 towards the completion of the project, only 40 percent of the money was released to the contractor.
Rep Rawayau added that the contractor was forced to abandon work on the site due to paucity of funds, despite reaching 70 percent completion level.
The lawmaker told the house that the neighbouring communities of the dam are presently facing threat of flooding owing to the failure to complete the dam project by the federal government.
When put to vote, the house unanimously adopted the motion, which was referred by the Deputy Speaker to the water resources committee to report back within two weeks.