Cross River govt losses $5m over non-payment of counterpart fund

Gov Ayade has given instruction for its payment –state govt

Cross River State Government has allegedly lost $5 million over non-payment of counterpart fund. The money was earmarked to the state for the next phase and expansion of the Rural Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion in Nigeria (RUSHPIN).

 The state, according to our investigation, was to contribute N104million as her counterpart fund to enable it draw money for the project. It was gathered that the money was the first tranche of N400m promised by Governor Ben Adaye.

Sadly, the dead line set by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, the coordinating body for the RUSHPIN program for the payment of the first tranche, elapsed on September 30, 2017.

 Consequently, due to the failure to pay the counterpart fund as well as the drawing of the money, the people in the three local government areas, Obudu, Akamkpa and Ogoja that were to benefit for the program will be expose to water borne diseases such as cholera, dysentery and other water born diseases.

Prior to this development, RUSHPIN program has put the state on the water and sanitation map as having produced a local government area, Obanliku, that was the first to be declared Open Defecation Free (ODF) out of the 774 local government areas in the country.

Addressing a press conference in Calabar on Tuesday, a non-governmental organization, the Society for Water and Sanitation Network, lamented the attitude of the government and regretted that with the non-payment of counterpart fund, there was likelihood of outbreak of water born diseases in the three local government areas which may spread to other areas of the state.

 The Chairman of the group, Mr. Tony Kedang, said the success of the RUSHPIN program was reduction in sanitation related diseases, “These efforts are not only contributing to improved health but also improved education and economic indices in the state”

He said: “Nigeria is a signatory to the UN-inspired Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Program which succeeded the MDGs with water and sanitation as the main focus of Goal 6. It is also on record that Nigeria ranks as the third open defecation country in the world after India and China”

 “We wish also to draw the attention of the Cross River State Government to the 2014 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which it signed with the funding agency, WSSCC and the Federal Government to expand and scale-up the program in three additional local government areas, Obudu, Akamkpa and Ogoja” disappointingly, the counterpart fund has not been released thereafter.

 The group called on Governor Ben Ayade to hasten up and ensure that the counterpart fund which he signed the MOU was released with a view to controlling impending waterborne diseases in the state.

When contacted, the Chief Press Secretary to the state Governor, Mr. Christian Ita, said: “The Governor has given instruction that all counterpart funds be paid. In any case, why should Cross River always be mentioned on issue like this?

“Why is it that whenever it is Cross River we try to make things look as if the state was the only defaulting state? Look at Nigeria as a country, she has withdrawn from over 150 international bodies this thing is (about) money.

“I am aware that the state Governor has given instruction to relevant ministries. I don’t know if that is one of them, that the counterpart fund be paid. But let us not forget that this thing is about money. If they are development partners, why can’t they fund the project directly?

“My response is that the Governor has given instruction that most of these counterparts fund be paid.”

However, this directive, according to our findings, may not be unconnected with a clarion call by the chairman of Society for the NGO, Mr. Kedang, that the state government has not paid the N104 million counterpart funds to enable it draw the $5million.

Edem Bassey, Calabar