Following a public hearing on the alleged Dugwaba Water Dam Fraud by Hon. Uzoma-led House Committee on Public Petitions where the Upper Benue River Basin Development Authority Managing Director, Alhaji Aliyu Jijiwa, in his utter disregard to the House invitation refused to show up for the fourth time, the Committee has resolved that he be issued warrant of arrest.

The public hearing was propelled by inundated Petitions against Dugwaba Dam Water Project in Hong Local Government Area of Adamawa State which was being constructed by Messrs Quartz Solar and Energy Systems Limited to the tune of M700million, but had been discontinued due to the Upper Benue River Basin Development Authority’s complicity in the release of funds.

The Committee were further angered by the Agency’s Managing Director, Alhaji Aliyu Jijiwa’s absence when the Chairman/CEO of the Company, Alhaji Umar Tella proved his innocence with evidences of payments made so far including funds meant for land compensation which the Management of River Basin has allegedly embezzled.

Responding to inquiries of how he knew that the management of the agency did not compensate land owners, he said, “they have chased us away from site having issued us several warnings that they have not been compensated, a situation that has put the authority under pressure to compensate them, but all to no avail despite the fact that I personally handed the cheque to them which was acknowledged,”Umar maintained.

The contractor, however, denied being paid N333million of the N700million contract sum, noting that the company was only mobilized to the tune of N199million since the award of contract in 1999, while pointing that the level of jobs done so far surpassed the amount released.
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“It is not true that the company got N333million but it was only N199million that was released in five tranches”, he told the Committee.

He urged the management of Water Authority to quickly compensate host Communities to avoid the contracts being abandoned.

Meanwhile, Hon Buba Yakubu representing Gombi/Hong Federal Constituency of Adamawa State insisting that the Committee would not watch the agency of government sabotaging government’s effort, vowed that the Committee would see to the end of this one.

“It is unfortunate that the River Basin Authority was the one responsible for abandoning water project at Dugwaba. The Committee will see to the end and we are not going to spare any one this time,” he maintained.