Gombe State Executive Council on Thursday approved about N2.8 billion as counterpart funding to donor agencies and development partners in the state.
The Council, our correspondent reports was presided at executive chamber by Governor Muhammadu Yahaya.
Providing details to journalists shortly after the meeting Gombe State Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning Salihu Alkali, said the funds show the government’s commitment development.
Some of the beneficiaries of the counterpart funding include Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Nigeria for Women project, United Nations Population Fund among others.
Alkali said, “N2,868,400.00 as counterpart funding for donor and development partners that have projects and programmes in the state. This is in the agreement signed between the state government and the donor, development partners. We have so many donor agencies that are undertaking projects and programmes in the state and every year we have to fulfill our own part of the agreement whereby we have to pay counterpart that is a contribution to the project they do in the state.
“Some of them are Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation we approved N300million as counterpart funding, we have the Nigeria Solar for Health project we approved N998,400 million as counterpart funding. Council also approved N500m by the ACReSAL and the others. Council approved N500m for Sustainable Power Supply in Nigeria, SURWASH programme in Gombe State N100m was approved and Nigeria for women project N200m was approved the ARiN project N25 million, we have the Amen project N30 million, the Sasakawa project N30 million, GomSACA N40million, the Impact N25 million, we have L-PRES N50 million and the UNFPA with N50 million.”
Speaking further on the counterpart fund, as a snow ball for development in the state Alkali added, “Take for example N12 billion ACReSAL project which involves construction of removal of gullies in Gombe. Recently, it tackled erosion from FCE (T) which is about 21km and it was done with funds from this ACReSAL project. For Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as you know is involved in ensuring that poor and vulnerable particularly children suffering malnutrition by providing them nutritious foods. The counterpart shows commitment, that government is serious once paid development and donor agencies do what they promised to do.”
On his part, Commissioner for Water Environment and Forest Resources Mohammed Fawu disclosed the plans of the state to reticulate water supply to the recently completed College of Nursing.
He said, “Today, Council approved the sum of N537,40,276,77 million for provision of drinking water in school of nursing Gombe currently the school has more than 600 students. When they move to the site we expect that there will be room for expansion there is need to ensure good drinking water. We will get the water from Gombe regional water, we will reticulate water from there, there is provision to drill dedicated solar-powered industrial borehole not less than 300 meters within the college. It will serve back up Incase the regional water has problem another work to be carried out is the construction of 200 cubic overhead tank to store water, there will be an underground tank of 300 cubic meters within the college premises.”
Speaking on the Gombe regional water project Fawu added, “it has been completed, tested. I attest that it was tested in December, the contractor has been distributing water to the people of Tumfure, the project has been completed and we are waiting for it to be commissioned. It will be commissioned soon.”
