A SPEECH BY THE HONORABLE COMMISSIONER FOR ENVIRONMENT AT THE OCCASION OF THE PRESENTATION OF CHEQUES TO PROJECT AFFECTED PERSONS(PAPs) AT OZURI GULLY EROSION SITE, ADAVI L.G.A
Protocols…
I am highly delighted to be here today to witness another milestone in the State Government’s intervention in the menace of Gully Erosion in Kogi State through Kogi NEWMAP. I welcome you all.
Your Excellency, Sir, permit me to humbly use this occasion to appreciate your untiring and unmatchable support to the success of the activities of Kogi NEWMAP, most especially the effort at flattening the curve of the menace of gully erosion in the State.
In the wake of the flood disaster in 2012, which devastated a lot of communities in Kogi State, The State Government made the move to participate in the NEWMAP Project, as a way of stopping the menace of gully Erosion in its tracks.
Upon fulfilling the criteria for participation, the State came on board in 2015. However, the project was formally launched by Your Excellency, Alh. Yahaya Bello on May 5th, 2017.
Your Excellency, Sir, your decision to key into the partnership with the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP) has rekindled the hope of a successful implementation of the project in the State. Indeed, it was a paradigm shift from the syndrome of incumbent administrations abandoning projects initiated by their predecessors over what many have come to tag politics of hatred and bitterness.
Your Excellency, your commitment towards a safe and habitable environment is unmatchable. This is reflected in the approvals of counterpart funds which is purposely meant to compensate the Project Affected Persons in NEWMAP sites ot intervention. At the moment, Kogi NEWMAP is intervening in 8 Critical sites and 4 Emergency sites. Amongst these sites, with your magnanimity, compensations have been made in AGASSA and ADUM Road, in Ogugu, and work is in progress at these sites. The third, which is the reason why we are here is OZURI GULLY Erosion site. Your Excellency, immediately after the compensation, our contractor is moving to the site without wasting any time. The work is expected to be completed within 12 Months of Commencement.
Sir, as an Environmental Friendly Governor who always wants to leave people better than you met them, your milk of human kindness is one of the reasons we are here today. Despite the intervention for the reclamation and channeling that you are about to embark upon in Ozuri Community, in your magnanimity, you still deem it fit to compensate those that will be affected by these works. This is the reason why we are here today. “What a man with a heart of Kindness”.
To the beneficiaries, I want to advise that you make good use of whatever comes to you as compensation for your property or for the disruption of your business.
Finally, Your Excellency, Sir, I want to Humbly invite you to the podium for your speech and declaring the flag off open.
Hon. Chief Victor Adewale Omofaiye.
Commissioner for Environment, Kogi State.
14-07-2020