By RACHEAL OLAYIWOLA

MANAGING Directors of the 12 River Basin Development Authorities, RBDAs, in the country, have been directed to ensure effective supervision and timely completion of all outstanding constituency projects billed for 2013 or face sanctions.

Minister for Water Resourses, Mrs. Sarah Reng Ochekpe who gave the Directive in Abuja at a meeting with the Directors and the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mr. Baba Umar Faruk, warned that non performers would be disciplined.

At the meeting, convened by the Minister to review the level of procurement and implementation of constituency projects billed for 2013, Ochekpe, warned that the Federal Ministry of Water Resources would not tolerate unnecessary delay in the implementation of the projects.

The 12 RBDAs were established in 1976 with a mandate to harness the nation’s water resources for domestic water supply, irrigation and hydropower generation through construction of dams and control of erosion and floods.

Charging the MDs to be committed to their duties because they are rendering important service to the grassroots, Ochekpe remarked that it was part of President Goodluck Jonathan’s commitment to bring dividend of government to the grassroots.

In a response, the MDs said all constituency projects have been procured and implementation was at 40 – 50 percent completion

They were expectatnt of full completion of all projects by end of December  except those whose funding spill over to 2014 budget.