— Seeks more funding for better performance
Chairman, House Committee on Water Resources, Honourable Aliyu Pategi, has stated that the N38.8 billion budgetary appropriation for 2014 is inadequate for the entire water sector to achieve its goals.
He emphasized that the initiatives to achieve the MDGs be put into consideration while preparing the budget.
Pategi stated this recently when the minister of water resources, Mrs. Sarah Reng Ochekpe, went to the house to defend the 2014 budget proposal for the sector.
He urged the ministry to ensure that water components of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are achieved.
He said that his committee has observed that some of the water projects that have utmost impact on lives of the people were yet to be completed due to inadequate funding.
He promised the committee’s assistance in ensuring that more funds are released. “Because of under budgeting, a lot of projects were abandoned and this trend has to stop. We want all MDAs to use their 2013 budget”, he emphasized.
He said that the committee had carried out oversight visits to River Basins, agencies of the ministry and would soon complete the visit to the ministry and its projects across the nation.
The minister while addressing the members said the ministry finds some of its projects difficult to complete as scheduled due to inadequate funding, she thereby solicits for the support of the legislators to increase funding for the sector.
