Skip to main content

Adamawa Residents Lament As Non-existent Irrigation Project Gulps Over N130m

Records obtained from the federal budget office revealed that Numan minor irrigation was in its fourth year of budgetary execution by Upper Benue River Basin Development Authority, a federal parastatal in Adamawa State.

Over N130m of tax payers' money has been spent on a non-existent irrigation project in Adamawa State.

The project, said to be located in Numan Local Government Area of the state, has left residents lamenting bitterly, asking for the Federal Government to initiate an investigation into the development.

Records obtained from the federal budget office revealed that Numan minor irrigation was in its fourth year of budgetary execution by Upper Benue River Basin Development Authority, a federal parastatal in Adamawa State.

Image

It was gathered that besides the ongoing 2020 appropriation, which is N14,620,500; at least N121,249,500 had been allegedly syphoned through the bogus project purportedly introduced by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led regime to stimulate agricultural growth.

Leaders of the supposed benefitting community are asking questions regarding the whereabouts of the Numan irrigation project.

Kwamoti La'ori, a federal lawmaker from Numan/Demsa/Lamurde Constituency, like several other stakeholders wants authorities at Upper Benue River Basin to identity the site of the project.

He said, "I'm not aware there is any irrigation project in Numan being handled by Upper Benue River Basin Development Authority or any federal agency at all.

"In any case, this is a wake up call for me and I'll get to the root of how it all happened."

Secretary of Numan Local Government Council, Foredon Nagapiya, on his own said he was not aware of any such project in Numan. 

Despite the many allegations of corruption against the leadership of the UBRBDA, Managing Director of the agency, Abubakar Mu'azu, has been reappointed for another term office.

Residents of the area want government to help address the issue immediately.

Topics
Corruption