Rivers may lose out on EU N1bn Water Project

The Rivers State government may be dropped out of the N1billion European Union, EU, water project which cuts across six oil bearing communities in the state, if the government failed to pay the balance of N100million, being part of its commitment to the scheme, on June 16, 2017.

Following the fast approaching deadline , the six oil bearing communities involved in the project had cried out to the governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike, to complete the state`s counterpart funding of the EU water project planned to provide portable water to their communities.

In a press conference in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, the six communities which cut across two local government areas of the state, and going under the aegis of Federation of Water Consumers
Association, said it would be disastrous to lose the project.

Addressing the press, the Chairman of the Federation of Water consumers Association, Iwarimie Diri, said that the project was an EU sponsored water scheme for 5 Niger Delta states of Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River with Rivers State as its headquarter and that the communities covered in Rivers state were Kula, Opobo, Nkoro, Abonnema, Kalaibiama, and Abise, all heavily impacted by pollution and in dire need of drinkable water.

He explained that the project estimated at about N1billion was to be carried out by the EU, the Rivers State Government, and the communities which have their individual commitments.

According to him, the EU was expected to provide 70 percent, Rivers state government- 25 per cent, and the communities 5 percent and added that all the six communities, as well as the EU, had paid their counterpart funds into an account dedicated to the project leaving the state government to complete the balance of its 50 per cent.

Mr. Diri emphasized the urgent need for the Rivers State Government to complete its counterpart funding, as the deadline for the expiration of the EU funded water project was fast approaching with the communities and the state at risk losing the project.

The Federation Chairman appealed to the governor, who he said had been magnanimous enough to pay the initial N100million, to complete the balance for the water project to commence in the spirit of Rivers at 50, and save the communities from several water borne diseases that had plagued them due to the absence of portable water.

Mr. Diri noted that the first expiration date of the payment was May 31, this year, but was graciously extended to June 16, adding that the communities were in the last days of the extension to access the project.

He said: “As we speak all the other states have contributed their counterpart funding except Rivers which has contributed N100million, the balance of which we are now appealing to the state governor to
graciously complete.

“We are certain that our listening governor will do this for us because the credit will also go to him as the man that was there when this hope is realized. Having the headquarters of the EU project in Rivers here, it will be abnormal if we cannot fulfill our own obligation that is why we are calling for government prompt action,” he stressed.

He emphasized that the state would lose tremendously if it failed to fulfill its obligation and that the EU would be either forced to do the project up to 50 per cent level or cancel it entirely.