Budget 2016: Federal Ministry Of Water Resources By Saatah Nubari

As I write this nineteenth piece in the #SaatahBudgetSeries, I feel a tiny bit of relief knowing that I have about nine more pieces to put down, and I would have succeeded in analysing the entire 2016 budget. The nineteenth piece in the series is about the Federal Ministry of Water Resources.
The Federal Ministry of Water Resources has seventeen agencies/institutions under it, twelve of which are River Basin Development Authorities

FEDERAL MINISTRY OF WATER RESOURCES

The Federal Ministry of Water Resources’ total budget is 44,206,418,733; 7,206,418,733 of which will be spent on “Recurrent Expenditure,” while the 37,000,000,000 left has been appropriated for “Capital Expenditure.”

602,626,000 is budgeted by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources for “Infrastructure Audit and Inventory of Irrigation Projects Nationwide.” I am not an auditor, but the amount budgeted for this purpose looks to be too expensive.

There is a 405,165,000 in the budget for “Construction of Sabke Project.” While comparing the 2016 budget and the 2014 budget for this same ministry, I came across a 600,000,000 in the 2014 budget for “Sabke Irrigation Project (PTF Transferred Project).” These provisions look like the same thing to me, and if indeed it is the same project, why was 405,165,000 provided for it in the 2016 budget and “NEW” put as its status?

800,000,000 is what the Federal Ministry of Water Resources first budgeted for “Construction Of Dam Embankment, Spillway, Inlet And Outlet Structures Of Monkin Earth Dam.” Another look at the budget will reveal to you a separate 400,000,000 for this same item.

120,000,000 is budgeted for “Construction of Dam Embankment, Spillway, Inlet And Outlet Structures, Power House And Penstock At Gimi Earth Dam.” A look further and you will find yet another 120,000,000 for the same purpose.

You also have a duplicated provision for “Construction Of 2.5km Access Road at Inyishi to Enhance Easy Flow of Traffic,” where 5,761,721 is budgeted twice for it.

The Nigeria Hydrological Service Agency has two allocations for “Monitoring of Environment and Security in Africa (MESA) Programmes.” The first allocation is 14,156,000 while the second allocation is 114,967,000.

Chad River Basin Development Authority will spend 504,000,000 on “Renovation of Offices, Farm Residential Quarters, Workshops, Warehouses, Guest Houses / Lodges at South Chad Irrigation Project in New Marte and Ngala Respectively.”
176,000,000 is budgeted for “Overhauling Of Nine (9) Sets Of Mireles Blackstone K. Major Semi – Automatic Power Generating Plants Comprising Six (6) Sets Of 4.25 Megawatts Capacity Each And Three (3) Sets Of 1.5 Mega – Watts Capacity Each And Repairs Of Fuel And Lubrication Storage Facility Consisting Of 7nos. Bulk Fuel Tanks 2.4million Litres Capacity Each, 4nos. Lubrication Tanks 20,000litres Capacity Each, 2nos. Heavy Fuel Tanks 20,000litres Capacity Each And 2nos. Dirty Oil Tanks 20,000litres Capacity Each.” This is ill-defined, and that reason alone makes it suspicious.
Ogun/Osun River Basin Development Authority has a 176,991,612 budget for “Research and Development.” I do not mean to be pessimistic, but I am not sure anything meaningful will be achieved with the sum meant for “Research and Development.”

Upper Benue River Basin Development Authority has a 2,000,000 budget provision for “Anti-Corruption,” a 2,500,000 allocation for “HIV/AIDS,” and 2,000,000 for “Gender and Human Rights.” The status of all these projects is “Ongoing.”  If there is an explanation for why these items are a part of the budget for Upper Benue River Basin Development Authority,  I would love to know what it is.

Upper Niger River Basin Development Authority will spend 250,000 for the “Construction Of 5km Road with Drainage at Lagelu in Ibadan, Oyo State.” I am not into road construction, but I believe that the 250,000 budgeted for this provision does not make sense in any way. I believe constructing a 5km road with drainage should cost much more than 250,000.  Either the person who put down that provision has no idea what he or she was putting down, or the person knew what he or she was doing, which was to budget a sum which will find its way into a private bank account. Additionally, there are also  about 37 other provisions with 250,000 allocated for them, which makes  this even more suspicious.

The Nigeria Integrated Water Management Commission will spend 297,730,000 on “Research and Development.”

We have come to the end of the nineteenth part of my budget analysis series. The in-between for today, just like the one for the last piece, is different. It is about the fact that despite communities in Ogoni having their groundwater severely contaminated by benzene, a carcinogenic substance, from the numerous oil spills, no single water project was sited there. Have a wonderful day!