By Kayode Araba
The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation Prof. Joseph Utsev has urged the lawmakers to support the ministry to enable them complete all the ongoing projects across the country and this was said during the joint sessions of both the committee senate and house or representatives at the budget defence.
Thus, the minister explained further that the Overhead Budget Proposal for Ministry stands at #371,23,876 while its Parastatals 42,228,567,587 and Personnel Cost Proposal for the Ministry is N2,983,95,416 and it’s parastatals will take N10,57,957,116.
The Minister noted that 6 new projects have been proposed in the 2024 Budget which according to him, are critical to improving water Sanitation and issue of flooding necessary for boosting socioeconomic activities in the country.
According to him the primary objectives is to enable the Ministry to achieve its mandate in providing a quality Federal water and addressed issue of dam and this will boost our agricultural production and food security in the country.
However, the chairman Senate committee on water resources and Sanitation Sen. Abdul’aziz Yari advance the minister to ensure all the ongoing project is completed before the commencing new project he also that the minister should brief the committee the details of the intervention and the performance of the budget of 2023 and the plans for 2024.
He alluded to the fact that a lot needs to be done to prevent further flood disaster ravaging the country and the committee is ready to support the ministry in their budget proposed to boost the economy for the national interest and that appropriations for projects be such that no projects when started should last for more than four years,” he said.
