Date Published: 01/10/10

Akpabio seeks greater mandate for Basin Authority in food production

Godswill Akpabio

The National Assembly has been tasked to assign the Basin Development Authority  with the greater mandate of producing enough food for the entire country this year.

Akwa Ibom State’s Governor Godswill Akpabio made the call at the weekend, when the Senate Committee on Water Resources, led by its chairman, Senator Bassey Ewa-Henshaw, paid him a courtesy visit at Governor’s Lodge, Uyo.

Akpabio said during the restructuring of the Basin Authority, the National Assembly should assure a greater responsibility of producing adequate agricultural products to ensure  food sufficiency in the country.

“If you want to re-structure the Basin Development Authority, I want you to see how you can help it to produce more rice and other agricultural products to ensure food sufficiency”, he stated.

The Governor however, told the Committee that the state government has spent billions of naira in the provision of adequate water supply to the people. He also mentioned that another set of over 650 people-oriented projects were ready for commissioning from this month

He specifically mentioned the reticulation of water by the Akwa Ibom water Company but called on the senate through the committee to determine the actual number of Federal projects sited in the state with a view to improving some dilapidated infrastructure.

Akpabio lauded the composition of the Senate Committee on Water Resources comprising people of impeccable character and proven integrity capable of improving democratic governance in the country.

The governor also commended the senators for exercising oversight functions by monitoring projects awarded by the federal government to ensure speedy completion.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Water Resources, Senator Ewa-Henshaw had hinted that they were on a visit to the South South geo-political zone to inspect water projects, with a view to making informed inputs during the 2010 budget deliberations.

Henshaw disclosed that the committee had inspected Ikot Ekwere water project in Nsit Ubium local government area and was on its way to visit the irrigation project at Itu.

He announced plans to restructure and sustain Cross River Basin Development  Authority, adding that  a Bill to that effect was lying in the National Assembly for deliberation and passage into law.