House Committee To Probe NDBDA Water Projects

House of Representatives Committee on Water Resources says its visit to the Niger Delta was aimed at inspecting water projects executed by the Niger Delta Basin Development Authority (NDBA) and ascertain whether they are up to standards.
Chairman of the Committee, Hon Aliyu Pategi told newsmen shortly after paying a courtesy visit on Governor Amaechi in Port Harcourt that they were carrying out their oversight functions aimed at probing water projects proposed by members in the region.
He said, “We are on oversight function and water is a very big issue. We follow projects of the members to ensure value for money”.
Hon. Pategi said apart from Rivers State, they will visit the six Niger Delta states to ascertain the level of work, “the aim is to assess them to determine the value they have added to the people of the area”.
When asked what the committee was doing to improve quality of water as a result of the high level of environmental pollution in the region, the House Committee Chairman emphasised the need for adequate legislation, but reasoned that with the establishment of the Nigeria Hydrological Agency the problem would be minimised.
Pategi also said gone were the days when people drilled water indiscriminately without regulation, further stating that water pollution is a global problem that required synergy from all arms and levels of government to tackle.
Since water is on concurrent list he called for collaboration, hinting that on most occasions the federal government fund 70 per cent of water projects in the states.
He equally assured on acting on the request of Governor Amaechi to probe delay in releasing the World Bank water loan to Rivers State,” as far as this Committee is concerned the parliament that works through the Committee on Aids, Foreign Loans and Debts had looked at the instruments Rivers State want to take unbehalf of the people. When we go back to Abuja we are going to ensure we engage with the Ministry of Finance and Minister of Water Resources, Stella Ochekpe”.
Meanwhile, Chairman of Niger Delta Basin Development Authority(NDBDA), Chief Nnaa Matthew Aleru has called for the setting up of a coordinating committee headed by States Ministry of Water Resources to check duplication of water projects in the country.
Chief Aleru maintained that the committee had become necessary to check the duplication of water projects,” there should be a coordination between the federal and state agencies and non-governmental bodies such that instead of wasting resources on duplicating these resources they can spread these to other communities that have not benefitted.”