The Chairman of Committee on Budget and Appropriation of the Adamawa State House of Assembly, Hon. Abdulrahaman Isa, has revealed that the European Union is planning to change the project specification of constructing Gella Dam in the Northern part of the state to constructing boreholes in Gude village.
Isa, who is the member representing Mubi South, said feasibility studies had already been carried out in Gella and the Adamawa State Government had paid a counterpart funding of $398 million to the EU under its Small Town Water Supply to construct a dam in Gella.
He said: “Why should EU shift grounds from constructing a dam in Gella to construct boreholes in Gude and piping it to Gella, which is a stone throw to Gude?”
According to him, the recent changing of the specification by the international organization on the ground that it does not have enough money to construct the dam is just a mere statement and the people of the state will not accept it.
He said: “Trying to shift from earlier agreement of the government and the House of Assembly of Adamawa State, whereby approving the counterpart funding and where the projects should be sited is an act that we cannot accept.
“Adamawa State Government had paid the whole amount of $398 million as counterpart fund, with EU to pay part of the money for the work to be done,.
“The money given by EU is not a free money.
“The state directly or indirectly must pay them back at a later date.
“As such I’m calling on EU to do the work based on the agreement both parties entered.”
Isa further said the construction of boreholes in Gude, which is on a low land, and piping it to Gella, situated in a high land, will not achieve the purpose of regular water supply in the area considering the topography.
He said: “For God’s sake how can you compare a dam and mere construction of boreholes?
“A Dam project in the town of Gella will serve all the communities around.
“Common sense should tell one that boreholes in Gude village will never serve the people of Gella well as it is larger than Gude and sitting on a high land.
“EU should stick to contract terms or return the money paid to the government of Adamawa State.
“For work to be done haphazardly without meeting the needs of the people, it is better for it not to be done at all.”
Isa also raised allegations that all the projects handled by international organizations in the state are poorly done, using the example of houses constructed in Maiha as work that never met the standards of an international organization.
He said: “Go and have a look at the house constructed by an international organization in Maiha.
“Those houses, for God’s sake, are of low standard.
“Funny enough, most of these organizations don’t use our local contractors to be part of the projects going on in the state.
“For your information, anything coming from anywhere for the purpose of development in Adamawa is for the people of the state, therefore everybody is a stakeholder in making sure the right thing is done.”