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N3.4b projects under threat in Niger Delta

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Over N3.4b European Union assisted water projects are under threat in five states across the Niger Delta region, Mr Albert Achten, Leader of the Technical Team has revealed.

Achten stated this on Thursday while meeting with the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Pastor Usani Uguru Usani.
According to him, the EU-Assisted Water Component of the Niger Delta Support Programme being planned for Edo, Rivers, Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa and Delta risk being cancelled as a result of inability of the affected state governments to pay their counterpart funds.

Mr Achten explained that the EU-assisted Water Component of the Niger Delta Support Programme was targeted at 17.8 million people in 46 towns and covering about 10 local government councils in the region, regretting that in spite of the impact the projects would have on the lives of the people, only Delta state has paid 50 per cent of its counterpart funding regarding the projects.

The five states are expected to pay N1billion counterpart funding representing 30 per cent of the entire funds for the projects, but they have not been forthcoming regarding their obligations on the agreement signed two years ago.

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The Team leader also said the European Union would not extend the June 2017 deadline for the commencement of the projects, saying the states only had two windows to extend the payment of their counterpart funding or risk the cancellation of the entire programme.

In his remarks, Usani assured that everything possible would be done to prevent the cancellation of the projects as most of the Niger/Delta states are facing endemic water-supply situation.

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