FADAMA Co-ordinator Decries Non-Payment Of Counterpart Funds

The Rivers State FADAMA III Project Co-ordinator, Prince Amadi, has decried the non-payment of counterpart funding by the local government council chairmen and beneficiary contributions by the FADAMA users groups, saying it has hampered the progress of the project in the state.

The State Project Co-ordinator (SPC) made the remark while briefing newsmen in his office in Port Harcourt last weekend.

According to him, FADAMA III is a counterpart fund driven project, estimated to cost $450 million for the period of five years with the World Bank contributing $250 million out of the total cost.

The Federal Government he said, contributed $23 million, state governments $77 million, the local government councils to pay $40 million while the communities/private sector contributes $60 million, all under counterpart fund contribution.

He wondered why most of the council chairman in the state would shun the project when the eligibility criteria for participating LGAs is only to provide two rooms office space for facilitators and Desk officers, secondment of two Desk officers to the Local FADAMA Desk Office (LFDO), inauguration of local FADAMA Development Committee (LFDC) and payment of N2 million counterpart contribution annually from 2008-2013.

Prince Amadi, noted that as part of benefits to the LGAs, about N75 million would go into sub-projects activities of the FADAMA User Groups (FUGs) and FADAMA Community Associations (FCAs) in each of the LGAs.

Others include, assets acquisition far individual FUGs and FCAs Small Scale Community owned infrastructure, capacity building of participating FADAMA Users, Capacity Building/Support to Local Government Personnel and Input Support/Advisory Services.

He said that 20 LGAs are expected to participate in the state, 10 communities in each of the LGAs and 10 groups in each community, but regretted that only 13 out of the 20 LGAs expected, participated by paying the N2 million counterpart fund, noting two other LGAs joined lately to bring the number to 15 LGAs in Rivers State.