“… as environment committee visits project sites in 3 LGAs, tasks communities to take ownership, guard jealously…”

Nasarawa State House of Assembly Committee on Environment, has commended Gov. Abdullahi Sule and World Bank for executing projects that have direct bearing on the lives of the people of the State, especially projects at the grassroots.

The Chairman of the Committee, Hon Mohammed Adamu Omadefu (APC-Keana) gave the commendation when the committee visited the office of Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) Project in Lafia and some projects sites in Akwanga and Obi LGAs on Thursday.

Hon. Omadefu said the committee was happy with Gov. Sule and the World Bank for coming to the aid of the people, especially those living in the rural areas by implementing projects and programmes that changed their lives  positively.

He said that constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, has empowered the House to oversight, hence the visits.

It would be reported that the committee inspected seedlings sites, solar powered boreholes and solar street lights in Akwanga and Ruga Ardo among other places respectively.

Hon. Omadefu said the boreholes will give the people access to potable drinking water.

” This  will prevent them from using contaminated water that will expose them to water borne deseas like diarrhea, typhoid among others” he said.

The lawmaker added that the solar street lights will boost the security of the communities.

” The light will help the people to carry out their night activities without fear of attack from any dangerous things like snakes,, dangerous animals  among others” He added.

While in Lafia, the committee inspected new office of the agency in Jos road and the Ten Numbered Tractors, fully kitted acquired by the agency to give to farmers in Ten Local Government Areas of the State.

The Chairman said the committee is poised to ensuring that the right thing is done and the people that suppose to benefit from the programs are the ones benefiting.

” It is within the mandate of the assembly to visit all projects carried out by the government to justify the money appropriated for it.

” As members we are happy with the judicious utilization of fund by ACReSAL. All the projects implemented are people oriented that have improved the wellbeing of the people of the State.

 “We urge the agency to sustain the tempo via standard and specification” he said.

Hon. Omadefu encouraged the agency to extend the gesture across to other communities at the 13 LGAs of the State.

The committee chairman enjoined the benefiting communities to take ownership of the projects at their domain against vandalization.

Speaking, the Project Coordinator ACReSAL, Dr. Napoleon Gyobe Elias appreciated the committee for the visit and said the project was  aimed at addressing the climate change and providing intervention to the needed communities in the areas of powered solar boreholes, solar street lights, seedlings and loan disbursement as well as tractors to farmers among others.

He said the project is a world bank project which commenced in 2022 with Two Million Dollars support from the bank and has qualified for the second phase because of its good performance in the first phase.

Napoleon said in order to ensure smooth running of the programme, the agency has established offices in the Three Senatorial District of the State.

The Project Coordinator said the project is working in all the LGAs but with different interventions.

” The project provides 25 solar street lights in each of the eleven wards in Akwanga Local Government, with additional five in Ruga Ardo.

” For the loan, all the Thirteen LGAs have benefited from the #300, 000, 000 so far disbursed to different interest groups in the State” he said.

He said the programme also focused on restoration of forest, aforestation, mining sites and acquisition of land for planting of trees in the Three Senatorial District of the State.

Napoleon said that it  completed one out of the Two gully erosion projects it inherited in Doma and Lafia LGAs from the New map and working towards finishing the second one.

He revealed that the project good performance earned it Ten Million Dollars to implement more projects in the second phase.

The Project Coordinator, revealed that the project is counter funding with Nasarawa State Government paying Five Hundred and Sixty Million Naira as counterpart.

Appreciating the gesture, Ardo Ibrahim and Abdumumini Maharazu commended Governor Abdullahi Sule and the World Bank for assisting them with water and light and appealed for more in that direction.

They assured of safeguarding and protecting the projects in their domains.

They pledged their readiness to be loyal and support Government  policies and programmes to  succeed.