Musa Na Allah Sokoto
The Mabera Storm Water Management and Flood control project will be completed and handed over to the Sokoto state Government in May this year.
The Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP), Sokoto Coordinator, Malam Ibrahim Umar disclosed this in an exclusive interview with Stallion times correspondent in Sokoto.
He said the Mabera Flood Control project is a collaborative project between Sokoto state Government and the World Bank aimed at arresting the menace of flooding in Mabera area, a suburb of the Sokoto metropolis.
“the project is a brain child of many successive administrations in the state which they found very difficult to executive not until when the present administration came in to being.” says the project coordinator.
“Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal in his magnanimity decided to collaborate with the World Bank for smooth execution of the project for the benefit of humanity.” the coordinator averred
He said Sokoto state Government has since paid its counterpart fund of one billion naira for the take-off of the Project, as a signed of commitment and seriousness.
In the same vein, the World Bank on its part released 2.5billion naira as it’s counterpart support for the flood control project which many in the state thought would not see the light of the day.
He said before the commencement of the project, the consultant and the contractor handling the water division job have carried out a series of feasibility studies using satellite images for topographical accuracy and capture the entire area as it relates to mass movement of surface running water during rainy season.
The network of drainages to be constructed according to coordinator will be linked to extra large channels that will reticulate the flood water back in to river Sokoto, the coordinator stated.
Umar further told Stallion times that, the contractor handling the project, Messrs Coberg Udoc Coberg Nigeria Limited., has been working round the clock to ensure timely and speedy completion of the long-awaited project.
He explained that payment of compensation to over 500 victims affected by the project have since commenced and about to be completed with little or less intrigues.
He reiterated that all grievances and complaints received thereafter as a result of the paid compensation would be addressed promptly by the agency.
He however disclosed that more Erosion and flood control projects would be executed by the Agency in the near future in Lugu Dam, Yarbulutu, Rabah and Goronyo among others.
Umar called on the residents of Mabera and indeed other people of the state to appreciate the administration of Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal for embarking on the said project despite the States meagre resources.
