Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory, Senator Victor Obende, yesterday expressed disappointment at the Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, for allegedly misleading Nigerians that the N800 million Okpella Water Scheme in Edo State had been completed.
Obende took a swipe at the minister when the latter appeared before the Senate Committee on Information to defend his ministry’s budget for 2014.
Demanding to know why the minister had told Edo people that the water project had been completed, paid for and commissioned during his good governance tour of the State, Obende said his interest in the matter was due to numerous petitions from his constituents seeking explanations as to why the project was said to have been completed despite the contrary being the case.
He said: “Mr. Minister, the Okpella Water Scheme project, N800 million, was assumed to have been completed and money paid and commissioned. You spoke about it during your good governance tour of Edo State.
“I also want to know when you get information from Ministries, Departments and Agencies whether you verify and cross-check such information before you inform Nigerians.
“I am concerned about this project because it is located in my Senatorial District and I have received petitions upon petitions about this project which is far from being completed. I want to know what happened.”
However Maku said that he did not go to Edo State to commission projects as claimed by the Senator.
