* Obaseki



* as Iguosa Gully Site Receives Attention


By Ikhili Ebalu, Benin City

Contract for emergency remediation works at the Iguosa Gully site has been awarded by the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP).  

Edo State Project Coordinator of NEWMAP, Dr. Tom Obaseki disclosed this while speaking with newsmen in the Project office in Benin City on the level of the Project implementation in the State.

Dr. Obaseki explained that considering the devastating nature of the gully and the threat to lives and properties in the community, the State Project Management Unit (SPMU) had to make a special request for the emergency work which was duly approved by the World Bank resulting in the award of the contract and added the contractor was carrying out preparatory work. 

He also told newsmen that advertisement for the procurement of contractor for the permanent construction works had been placed in some Nigerian newspapers, stressing that the permanent work would be a continuation of the emergency work.

The Project Coordinator announced with joy that Edo State came tops at the just-concluded assessment of NEWMAP States in project implementation by the World Bank, adding that the favourable rating was great encouragement to the Project staff and endorsement of the SPMU in terms of adherence to processes, procedures and guidelines.

Dr. Tom Obaseki listed the ongoing civil works by Edo NEWMAP to include the Flood Alleviation and Construction work at Gapiona and Upper Adesuwa axis of GRA, Benin City; Ogiso-Osunde, Urora and Igbei-Auchi as well as the Edo College, Benin City Gully Remediation works, amongst others.

He explained that in line with the World Bank guidelines which require the payment of compensation to persons whose properties or crops would be adversely affected by civil works, the Project had since commenced the implementation of the Resettlement Action Plan (RAP), that is, payment of compensation to all Project Affected Persons at the sites after painstakingly going through the established processes. He, however, said payment was being delayed in some areas as a result of dispute over ownership of properties and incomplete documentation. 

Dr. Obaseki asserted that the RAP implementation was in line with the project guidelines of transparency and fairness to all parties, stressing “nobody in the Project, not even the Project Coordinator has the power to deny anyone the payment of compensation duly approved by the authorities”.

The Project Coordinator added that attention was also being given to the project livelihood activities where some Community Interest Groups (CIGs) were given grants to set up small and medium enterprises.

He assured all stakeholders of the desire of Edo NEWMAP to continue to dialogue with host communities with a view to achieving the completion deadlines of the contracts in the overall interest of the communities