THE Hadejia Jama’are River Basin Development Authority has set up a committee to look into the completion of the abandoned Wanzamai Gezawa Earth Dam Constituency Project after an investigation funded by the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR).
The investigative report, funded by The ICIR, was done by Metro Daily Nigeria.
The report, published in July 2021, showed that despite gulping N192 million, the Wanzamai Gezawa Small Earth Dam constituency project lies in ruins seven years after the contract award.
The Assistant Director (Public Relations) Salisu B. Hamzat, for the Managing Director Hadejia Jama’are River Basin Development Authority, in a letter on Thursday, said, “Like many other constituency projects, the Wanzamai Gezawa Earth Dam was faced with the problem of delay in the release of funds especially as a result of the expiration of the tenure of the Senator that initiated the project.
Nevertheless, about 95 per cent of the project was completed before the authority received formal complaints from the Communities living close to the dam that some houses and farmlands were flooded and therefore pleaded that the water should be drained to avoid further destructions.
However, on July 24 2021, Metro Daily Nigeria released a publication on its pages titled ‘Seven Years After and N200 Million Spent, Kano Earth Dam Project Remains Abandoned’ showing concern that after spending a considerable amount of public funds, the Wanzamai earth dam is not in any way being utilized by the public.
It further reads; “Owing to this Publication, therefore, the Managing Director of Hadejia Jama’are River Basin Development Authority formed an expert committee comprising of civil and irrigation engineers to visit the project site and report all issues related to the project and the committee did its final site visit on 30th September 2021.
Given the foregoing, the Metro Daily Nigeria Newspaper and the general public need to be informed that the Hadejia Jama’are River Basin Development Authority is doing everything within its mandate and even using other relevant stakeholders to see that the project reaches its final stage and put into maximum use”.
The secretary of, Wanzamai dry season farmers Association, Abbas Abdullahi, who spoke on the development, said that “We were surprised to see officials of Jama’are River Basin Development Authority visiting the earth dam site”.
“We have sought help on the completion of the project but to no avail. However, the recent report by Metro Daily Nigeria, which exposed the condition and position of the dam, brought them back.
“They came and had talks with prominent leaders in the village and us, we hope that with this development, the project would be completed and put to use for maximum utilization,” he added.
Blessing Otoibhi is a Multimedia Journalist and Anchor host for the News in 60 seconds at The International Center For Investigative Reporting. You can shoot her a mail via [email protected] or connect on Twitter @B_otoibhi