Weekly Trust
Saturday, June II, 2011
Inside story of Adamawa's abandoned N5bn irrigation project
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IbrahimAbdul'Am. Yola H£con!ractforcons!ruction of the much l:llked .bout C hou chi Irrigation projec.f. was re-awarded In 1999, and there were jubilations .nd celebration not only in the ancien! town of Yola, Adamawa state capital but also in the other communities partlculu lylrrl gatlon farmers who believe the projro, wlten compll:ted, wou ld in no small measure help in changing the liftlihoods of over 5,000 farmers. Chouchll rrlga tion Proj«1 was one o( the proj«ts handed O\'er by the defunct Petroleum (Special) Trust Fund (PTF) to the Obasanjo administrallon. It could be recalled that Imp resit Bakolo rl won the NSbn Irrigation contract from the beginning. Theproject was to be completed within the stipulated 2-4 dry mon tlu, barely three 10 (our yea rs. The project when completed is ap«led to, nOI only boost food production. but contain the problem o f nooding and erosion in paru o rYola lown.
• ... farmers cry out for help Howevl:'r, as observed by the local (armers, evidenlly, afte r I] rears. there Is IIk.eJihoo<! thai the project may tau another IS rears 10 be completed with Ihe slow pace In wh ich the work 15 moving. It is this situation that spurrw thl:' (armers 10 calion gove rnm l:'nl 10, urgently, int l:'rvene. The work is to take off (rom Kwanan Kuka where the site 15 situaled, 10 lerminale in a seltiement and farmJands submerged in the construcllon site of lite Chouchi Irriga tion Project. Irrigation farming is changing the Ih'elihood orfarmers In the area already. Located along limeta road, Gouch! rh'er is easily accessibll:'. Hills and strl:'ams surround thl:' community, giving it a good dimatl:',suitabll:' fo r irrlgallon and livestock {arming. Because of Ihis potential, the people o f Yola and its e nvirons have O\'cr thl:' )'I:'ars bel:'n invoh-ed in growing maiu, o nion5 and tomalOl!'$ du ri ng all
As observed by the local fanners, evidently, after 13 years"there is likelihood that the project may take another 15 years to be completed with the , . slow pace in which the work is moving. It .is this situation that spurred the fanners to calion government to, • urgen~ly, intervene 111111111111111111111111111
seasons using tradilional methods and tools. For decadu, th l:' vegetable mu ket in Chouchi has attracted people from within and outside the area; they come to buy ngetables in largl:' quantities {or distribution to Ihe othtr parts oflh e stale. Bcfore the beginning o( Irri ga tion fanning, farmers in Yola we re mainly subsistent farmers, and barely had enough food o r incomc for their needs. Thl:' local io n of Chouc!t l and its contributions to agriculture alt racted many farme rs, who engage In building Ihe capacitY 'of fanners In irrigation farming. Unlike seasonal farming that dl:'pends on rainf.ill. Irrigation farming uses various sources of waIf'! such as wdls, boreholes and nearby streams, usinga pump and long hose pipes or walering cans to watl:'r Ihl:' soil and crops. With fuU hopes that the projecl will be realized, already the state government lIt rough the State Minis try of Agricuilure
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ENTRANCE gate ..about to be lotked as work no longer goes on
hid since been engaged in trai ning 0 ' fanners on how to mab: and use organ" manun, provided for litem wi th fe niliu' al su bsidiud prices with improved capacitJ and skills, waitl ngforthe completiun oflh. project. This group of farfllers have access I. improved varil:'lics of sttdlings, and shan Ideas on farming and irrigallon. Some 0 them have dug boreholes, and purchaset water pumps to enhance their work. Smal .scale farmers also attend their workshop and parlicipate In radio discu5.'liOi progr.uns on agriculture. From th is little ray of hope, farmer have now diversified thei r agricullun ac ti\'ities and sources o{ income, growin] Il:'ttucl:', cabbage. onions and maize II addi tion 10 their rainy season farminf unfortunatel y their hopes are beginnln
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Weekly Trust
Saturday, June 11 . 2011
Inside story of Adamawa's abandoned NSbn irrigation project
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10 lum to ill usion. A cross section of farmen who spoke on the I J year old project u rged federal
government to do something about it in view of il5 viability in boosting food production and eradication of povtrty. Auwal Abubaku and Musa Buba said as farmo:rs along the C ho uchi, river they
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Jndeed' WhentheFederal
government initiated the programme, we werealljubilating that we will soon find a boost in farming, but unfortunately for over 10 years, the project is still atthe infancy stage; said Malam Umaru Muhammad the spokesperson ofthe farmers 11111111111111111111111111
UNFINISHED bIU lnen; ThI ' " 5uppo, ed IQ be p re$eycllr wcregrcatlydisturbed wilh Ihesuspcnsion o f ....'Ork o n the projeCl expÂŤted to be co mpleted Ihis December. -The present level of work al the projec t 5i and the fact that \I.'ork has 5 10p~ is a poinler Ihal Ihe dale line o rOece mberls no longer realistic-, Auwallamentcd. " Indeed, I~h en the Fed eral government initiated the programme, we were all jubilat ing that I,'e will soon find a boost in farming, but unforlUnatel y for ove r 10 years, lhe project is still at the infancy stage; said Malam Umaru Muhammad th e spokesperson of the farmers , Similarly, the farmers regret that the project has ~e n turntd Inlo II gamble, because the y were infomled by unconfirmed sou rces that there were reviews of th e initial co nt nllct sum. Hence th ey called on the stale l al~m:lkers. trad itional rulers in the state as wdl as Senators rep~ntm8them loevolve lva y' IOwards actualizing the project.
When contacted on the project, the ch ief resident engineer. Mr Tony O logbose re said o nl y officials of 1mpresi I Bakolori limiled, the company han dlin g tile project could say \~hat was affecti ng wo rk un th e project. Acco rding 10 Ologbosere, the project was nut faCing aoy finan cial pro blem as even this yea r, money was released by th e federal gOl'emment but the conlractur could not claim the money as it co uld not prese nt certiflcate for job done to dallll the money which had 10 be retu rned 10 the ministry. ' Ologtx:~e explained Ihat th e i low ~ce of worklhas affected man y structu res al ready put in place making th e already achieved 67 percent record of completion to fall down to abou t 50 per cenl. Efforts to get officials o f Im presit Company to comment on the mailer did not yie ld result as no ne of the staff we re willing to talk.
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