Ecological Fund Office says 17 projects approved for 2013

The Federal Government has approved 17 ecological projects nationwide for 2013, an official of the Ecological Fund Office has said.
Tolu Makinde, the Deputy Director, Press, made this known on Thursday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja.
Makinde said the flood control projects had yet to commence as they were undergoing re-certification by the Bureau of Public Procurement.
He said that the National Assembly had earlier approved 12 of the 17 projects, adding that the BPP had also re-certified six out of 12 projects.
He gave an assurance that the contractors would commence the execution of the projects as soon as they were cleared from the BPP.
Makinde said: “The Federal Government has already approved 17 ecological projects scattered nationwide.
“The National Assembly has also approved 12, remaining five.
“But we are still hoping that the remaining five will soon be approved.
“Their execution will commence as soon as the BPP completes revalidation and re-certification of those projects.”
Makinde said that the second phase of the projects would not face some of the challenges, which hampered the smooth implementation of the first phase, adding that the new phase would involve all stakeholders from the start to the completion.
He said: “The first phase of the above-mentioned programme will not be felt in its second phase.
“The first phase only made provision for the raising of seedlings and planting. all by the Federal Government.
“With that experience, we were faced with the problem of some overgrown trees until states were asked to take-over planting at their own costs.
“The second phase of the programme has involved all stakeholders from the beginning to the termination of the process, to avoid recurrence of such lapses.”

Dotun Oladipo