Citizens Urge FG To Dam Adada River

The people of  Enugu North Senatorial Zone of Enugu State,  Monday  called for  the inclusion of the damming of the Adada River in the 2010 budget of the country.

They also requested the setting up of a skill acquisition centre for the training of their youths in various trades as well as a means of curbing youth’s unemployment being faced by the  teeming population of youths in the area.

Speaking during a  town hall meeting convened by the Senator representing the area, Chief  Ayogu Eze, stakeholders of the zone explained that the damming of the river for which feasibility studies had already  been concluded would boost the economy of the area.

According to them, the study  indicated that about N3.7 billion would be required to damn the river, which would also provide water for irrigation for agricultural production in the  zone, which also called for the establishment of tertiary hospital.

  They, therefore,   recalled with sadness the relocation of the ESUT Teaching Hospital from the area to Enugu urban by the immediate past administration of the state, adding that  the area was in dire need of federal government presence. 

  The stakeholders further observed that  the only notable presence of the federal government was the establishment of the University of Nigeria Nsukka [UNN], and  commended Sen. Ayogu Eze for what they described as his doggedness in ensuring that the area received adequate representation.

  They insisted that there was need for more development so as to enable the area  maintain her pride of place.

  Also speaking on the occasion, the  Commissioner for Local Government Matters in the state, Prof Frank Asogwa, had told the gathering drawn from the seven local government areas that make up the zone at the government filed venue of the event that, the country stood to benefit a lot should the damming of the river be included in the federal budget.

  His words : “The development and increase in agricultural yield of this area depends largely on this river. We have on our own tried to ensure that we produce food all year round, but this effort will be boosted when this river is dammed, as it will also provide jobs. It is not a project that the state government can carry and that is why we want it included in the federal budget, so as to fast track its realisation.”

 He noted that, the economic viability and sustainability of the proposed Adada State for which the area had craved for rested squarely with the damming of the river, stressing that it would also  open up the window for the exploration of more economic potentials abounding in the area.

  The traditional ruler of Olido Community in the zone, Igwe Augustine Agashi, while making his own contribution ,  commended  senator Eze,  for organising the town hall meeting, which he noted had brought the people of the zone together to know the contributions of their representatives at the federal level.

  “We are happy that for the first time, a senator representing us has called us together to make input to the appropriation bill now before the National Assembly. This goes to show that at last  people are beginning to participate in the affairs of government. By the time this kind of forum is also organised in other zones, it would go a long way in bridging the gap currently existing between the government and the governed.”