Fadama: Counterpart Funds Default Worries Zonal Co-ordinator

The non-payment of counterpart funds by States and Local Government Areas has been identified as the major problem militating against the success of Fadama III project in the South-South region of Nigeria.

The project zonal co-ordinator, South-South zone, Dr Isaiah Foby made the observation at Uyo capital of Akwa Ibom State, during the joint World Bank/FGN supervision mission for the South South states, recently.

In a press release signed by the state communication office, Joseph Nwuzi, and made available to The Tide last Friday in Port Harcourt, Dr. Foby commended Akwa Ibom and Cross River States for being up to date in payment of  counter part funds and urged other states to emulate their positive steps towards the project.

According to the release, the National Project co-odinator, Alhaji Bukar Tijjani said the major objectives  of the mission  is to review the project implementation progress across all project components and identify issues preventing smooth project implementation. Review action plans to ensure that set targets are being achieved, monitor financial and procurement activities of the project, including availiability of counterpart funds; undertake field visit to project sites to review documentation, quality of work done, capacity utilisation, of assets and sustainability of sub-projects.

Also, to review progress on data collection and confirmation of the baseline for agreed prrformance indicators; review the status of federation of community units and identify strategies for incorporation of ICT in the implementation of the project and  provide suggestions to address the identified constraints and challenges.

The World Bank Task Team Leader of Fadama III Project, Dr. Abimbola Adubi, said that the main objective of the project is to sustainably increase the incomes and  productivity of the rural land and water resource users stressing that the project is counterpart driven.

He admitted that the project has achieved a lot in Akwa Ibom, therefore encouraged them to pay their counterpart funds to enable them attract more funds to the state for execution of more Fadama projects.