The Kogi State Government has awarded Contracts for the stabilization of Omigbo, Etahi and Ankpa gully Erosion Sites.

Signing the Contracts on behalf of the State Government, the Commissioner for Environment, and Chairman, Kogi ACReSAL State Steering Committee, Engr. Joseph Oluwasegun Stephen, appreciated the Executive Governor, His Excellency, Alh. Ahmed Usman Ododo for his desire to rid the State of the menace of Gully Erosion.

The Governor admonished the contracting firms against embarking on shoddy jobs, as the State frowns at such acts, and so, all effort must be deployed to ensure that quality, lasting jobs are delivered. He also stated that the Project, which is in partnership with the World Bank ACReSAL Project, is a Project dear to him. The partnership became necessary because of devastating land degradation in the State, affecting lives and livelihoods. He therefore urged the contractors to deploy all relevant resources to the execution of the assignment to ensure quality job delivery that will meet global standards.

In her welcome address, the Project Coordinator, Kogi ACReSAL, Barr. Ladi Ahmed Jatto-OON said, “The affected communities had endured immense hardship, which had seen houses collapsed, farmlands destroyed, essential infrastructure compromised, access roads severed, and in some tragic cases, lives have been lost”.

According to the Project Coordinator, the ACReSAL Project aims at addressing critical challenges common in the North, such as land degradation, high poverty rate, climate risks, poor agricultural productivity, and desertification.

She further stated that Kogi State is prone to these menace because of its central location, presence of Rivers Nigeria and Benue, hilly topography, and the loose soil texture of the Eastern part of the State which is akin to what is obtainable in the South-Eastern States of the Country.

She expressed her warm appreciation to the Executive Governor, His Excellency, Alh. Ahmed Usman Ododo for his support to the Project.

She equally used the opportunity to highlight some of the areas where the Project has intervened to include:

–   Training and provision of 300 clean cook stoves for rural women in the 3 Senatorial Districts of the State where the Project is intervening.

–   Installation of solar powered boreholes, and streetlights in several carefully selected rural communities in the State.

–   Successful review of RAP Reports, which have been cleared by the World Bank, thus paving the way for the imminent compensation of community members who may be affected/displaced by Project intervention, and subsequent commencement of Civil Works.

–   Successful review of ESMP Reports, which are currently being reviewed by the World Bank.

In their separate goodwill messages, the Hon. Commissioner for Water Resources, Engr. Yahaya Farouk, the acting Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. Jonah Enehe and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Dr. Saidu Alhaji, all expressed their appreciation to the Executive Governor for his support to all sectors of the State since his tenure began, while also urging the benefiting communities to buy – into the Project and see the Gully Stabilization intervention as their own.

ACReSAL… Greening The Environment… Saving Lives!!!