The immediate past Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Prince Matthew Kolawole, has commended Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo for his commitment towards the welfare and well-being of the citizens.
He described him as a worthy successor who keeps a tap on completing all ongoing projects, programs and policies of former Governor Yahaya Bello’s administration who listed Omigbo River Channelisation as one of the sites to be channelled in 2017.
He disclosed this in a message of commendation to both the current administration of Governor Ododo Usman and the leadership of Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) in Kogi State, Barrister Ladi Jatto, stressing that he was glad that it was one of his first projects when he emerged as the Speaker of Kogi State House of Assembly in August 2017 with the support of former Governor Yahaya Bello.
He said the commencement of payments of compensation to the people that will be affected along the channelisation route of Omigbo River is commendable and urged the people to give their maximum support and cooperation to the contractor as soon as the real project work starts.
He said the project is World Bank-assisted and aimed at addressing the challenges of land degradation and climate change in Northern Nigeria on a multi-dimensional scale, adding that the project also seeks to reduce vulnerability to soil erosion, and reverse and prevent land degradation in a sustainable way that complements the natural environment.
Kolawole said the Kogi State Governor has further demonstrated his desire to ensure that the people of Omigbo community in Kabba are free from the menace associated with the gully erosion, and approved an additional sum of Six Hundred Million Naira (N600,000,000) as counterpart funds for over 200 beneficiaries in the local government area under the World Bank facilitated Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project receives their monies as re-settlement funds.
“I want to sincerely thank the former Governor of Kogi State, H.E Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello for laying a solid foundation for the growth and development of the state, this project is one of his legacies projects in the Kabba-Bunu local government area.”
He also used the opportunity to appreciate the former Commissioner for Agriculture, Hon. Kehinde Oloruntoba under whose tenure the project came to the limelight, pointed out that without his support and cooperation then, the project might not see the light of the day.
He acknowledged the giant input of the former Chairman, Hon. Moses Olorunleke who ensured the realization of the project, and called on the people of Kabba-Bunu to continue to give their maximum support and cooperation to Governor Ododo’s administration.
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