BY SUZAN EDEH

Bauchi-Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State has expressed worry over allegation of poor execution of N70 billion Kafin Zaki Dam in the state.

Government sources said Yuguda’s worry started when some “saboteurs” alleged that the project which was jointly executed with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources had been abandoned.

The Kafin Zaki Dam in Ningi Local Government Area of the state was started during the ex- President Shehu Shagari’s administration in the Second Republic but was abandoned in December 1983, following the Major General Muhammadu Buhari- led coup det’at which terminated the civilian administration in the country.

The contract was later reviewed upwards to N10 billion by the General Ibrahim Babangida government before it was again abandoned for the second time, but the Yuguda’s administration re-visited the issue in 2007 before the Federal Government keyed into it. Following the development, both the Federal and Bauchi State governments as well as the Dangote Group of Companies re-valued the contracts upwards to N70 billion.

Governor Isa Yuguda was however disturbed when he was informed that some highly placed personalities from the North-East geo-political zone had written to the Minister of Water Resources, insinuating that the construction of the dam was deliberately delayed.

This was a calculated move to sabotage the realization of the Kafin Zaki Dam”, Yuguda said, while reacting to the development.

Yuguda  who was speaking while responding to some demands by the Emir of Bauchi, Alhaji Rilwanu Suleiman Adamu during a visit to the Government House, expressed concern with the attitude of the said highly placed personalities and called for unity among the people as, according to him, ‘’unity’’ was the panacea for peaceful co-existence, progress and development.

The Emir, Alhaji Adamu had earlier appealed to the state government to evolve policies that could facilitate the involvement of youths in agricultural activities with a view to providing them the windows for self-reliance.

He explained that such agricultural activities for the youths would go a long way in arresting unemployment problems as well as boosting the socio-economic development of the state.