Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
National Assembly members have been urged to allow the Benin-Owena River Basin Development Authority to handle their constituency projects, to enhance the development of its catchment areas.
Chairman of the Board, Alhaji Ali Olagunju Olanusi, said this while briefing newsmen on his performance in less than one year he assumed office.
Olanusi said that constituency projects of members of the National Assembly ought to be implemented through agencies of the federal government.
According to him, “We need their patronage, we will execute their projects according to their designs, so that there will be development all round the area covered by Benin-Owena River Basin Development Authority.
“We will help them to handle and supervise their constituency projects, so that the people will know what the present administration is doing,” he said.
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Also speaking, a member of the board, Hon. Nelson Alapa, noted that Benin-Owena has achieved so much, in spite of being the least among the 12 river basin authorities in budgetary allocation.
He, however, attributed the success to synergy between the management and the board.
According to Alapa, “It doesn’t matter how much comes into Benin-Owena, what matters is what they do with whatever comes there.
“It’s commendable to note that with the little they have, they’ve been able to do all these, and if given more, we will do more.”
Managing Director of the authority, Engr. Saliu Ahmed, disclosed that the authority has successfully cultivated various vegetables, including carrots on its 60-hectre pilot farm at Obayantor, Edo state.
“One of our mandate are is the production of rural infrastructure, from roads to skill acquisition centres to various communities, with the desire of improving the quality of life in our rural communities,” he added.