World Bank Embarks On Flood Control In Abia

Task Team Leader of the
NEWMAP, Dr Amos Abu, says the World Bank has embarked on an environmental intervention project on flood control and erosion management in Abia.
Abu disclosed this in Umuahia when he led senior officials of the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP) to a courtesy call on Governor Okezie Ikpeazu.
He said that the World Bank in conjunction with the Federal Government initiated the programme to offer technical and on-the-spot guidance on erosion and watershed projects.
According to him, the project, which is geared at solving the problem of flooding and erosion, is a World Bank intervention support initiative and performance driven.
He said the governor with the NEWMAP group had visited sites in Umueze-Ukwu, Amuda-Achara and Umuagu-Ibeku in Abia, which required intervention, adding that the intervention design of these sites had reached advanced stages.
“The total value of the sites is N903million and the money is available.
“We are pushing the contractors as well as the design and supervision firms, so that we can start disbursing funds.
“I commend the government for not interfering in the project execution and for providing N50million out of the N500million counterpart fund it is required to pay.
“And I urge the state government to fulfill its obligation of completing the payment of the counterpart fund,” he said.
Abu said that the Aba sub-water master plan would be implemented to meet international standard, adding that a grant of $2million was available for the project.
In his response, Governor Ikpeazu said that his administration was willing to partner with development partners that would make the future of Abia to be brighter.
The governor said that government was looking for out-of-the-box ideas to paying its counterpart fund.
“I urge all relevant agencies to raise awareness about practices that are harmful to the environment,” he said.
Ikpeazu appealed to the organisation to extend their intervention programmes to Isuikwuato and Umunneochi, which were also faced with the tragedy of erosion.