Senate rejects N287bn loan proposal for water projects

The Senate has voted down a N287 billion loan request proposed by the Ministry of Water Resources to fund some water projects under the Sustainable Urban and Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene.

According to Senator Clifford Ordia, the chairman of the committee, there have been three different loans approved before for various water projects.

“$450 million for the Ministry for the water project being financed by the Africa Development Bank and another $6 million loan under the Integrated Programme for Development also financed by the Africa Development Bank and Gurara water project,” Senator Ordia said.

“You need to tell us what you are doing with $700 million for water projects.”

Senator Joseph Ogba said that he was also against approving the loan because some of the previous loans were yet to see the results.

He said, “This loan, I don’t support this one again; enough is enough.”

Senator Ibrahim Oloriegbe of Kwara Central District asked the criteria for selecting benefiting states, adding that details provided by the permanent secretary of the ministry were insufficient to justify the loan.

“You are giving each state $3 million to develop personnel capacity. Do we need a loan to do this function; you mean all states can’t do that on their own?” asked Oloriegbe.

The committee will summon the Minister of Water Resources, Adamu Suleiman, to appear before the Senate to explain the progress on existing water loan projects and the reason behind the proposal for more funds for the SURWASH project.