The Federal Government of Nigeria on Monday 23rd January, 2017 inaugurated the newly appointed Management Team of the River Basin Development Authorities with a charge to exhibit professionalism.
The Honourable Minister of Water Resources, Engr. Suleiman H. Adamu, FNSE at the inaugural meeting with the Management Team of the 12 River Basin Development Authorities in Abuja said that they should avoid playing politics with their jobs as their appointment was based on merit, capacity and integrity to turn around the performance of the RBDAs to become more efficient in the delivery of their mandate.
Adamu said that the event was a milestone in the continued efforts of the ministry to revitalize the River Basins with the view to boosting agricultural production of the country through all year round farming to guarantee food security and achieve integrated rural development.
According to him, concrete steps have been taken to resuscitate the RBDAs by developing an action plan and blueprint that includes quick-wins interventions with the aim of restoring the mandate of the Basins. He added that the Ministry has launched seven pilot schemes of Graduate/Youth Empowerment scheme to drive the Federal government agricultural policy for the country.
The Managing Director, Anambra-Imo River Basin, Rev. Michael Nwabufo on behalf of the Management Team, thanked the Minister and President Muhammadu Buhari for finding them worthy of the appointment saying that “to whom much is given, much is expected” He said that they are aware of the Minister’s passion to reposition the RBDAs for effective service delivery and that they are ready to key in and assured the Minister that they would not fail the nation.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mrs. Rabi S. Jimetamni, called on the Management Team to align themselves with strategic plan of the ministry by subjecting all on-going projects to technical audit to get best results.
She assured them of the ministry’s readiness to support them to succeed. She charged them to streamline the River Basins Budget implementation with their strategic plans and deploy their utmost capacities to turn around the River Basins to global best.
Margaret E. Umoh
