By Abba – Eku Onyeka, Abuja
Hon. Minister, Water Resources, Engr. Suleiman H. Adamu has said his Ministry is determined to support the Managing Directors and Executive Directors of the12 River Basin Development Authorities (RBDAs) in achieving their set objectives, with the reason that the RBDAs are the key implementing arms of the Ministry and serve as the mirror of its achievements.
According to a recent press release from the Director of Information in the Ministry, Mrs Kenechukwu Offie, the Minister made the promise at the at a one–day interactive meeting of the Minister with the Managing Directors and Executive Directors of the 12 River Basin Development Authorities (RBDAs) recently in Abuja.
While congratulating them on their appointment, the Minister reminded them that their appointment is an opportunity to contribute toward realisation of President Buhari’s reform agenda, particularly in the areas of Integrated Water Resources and River Basin Management, food security and job creation as encapsulated in the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan of the Government.
He, however, reminded them that the River Basin Development Authorities Act 1986 as amended, vests the Authorities with the powers to undertake comprehensive development of both surface and underground water resources for multipurpose use with particular emphasis on the development of irrigation, water supply, flood and erosion control infrastructure through construction, operation and maintenance of Dams, Lakes, Polders, Wells, Irrigation and Drainage systems.
Adam, therefore, noted that the Ministry is fully aware of the challenges facing the operations of the RBDAs which, according to him include financial indebtedness, paucity of funds, inadequate personnel as well as lack of operational tools and equipment. He also charged them for prudent management of the available resources while discharging their duties.
Emphasizing that the meeting is to enable them deliberate and set the agenda for the top management of the 12 RBDAs given their fresh terms in Office as Managing Directors and Executive Directors, Engr. Suleiman Adamu reminds the MDs that they are enablers for the deployment of the Water provisions in their specific catchments for job creation and food production, using the various flag-ship programmes inaugurated earlier.
Earlier in a welcome address, the Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson – Jack represented by the Director Overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Engr. Benson Ajisegiri said that the RBDA is a strategic Parastatal of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and the Federal Government with enormous responsibility, especially at this critical stage in “our national life when we need to diversify, grow our economy through agriculture and for actualizing the declaration of Mr. President to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in the next 10 years.”