….we’ll not disappoint Nigerians, Tinubu – appointees

By Gabriel Ewepu

ABUJA – THE Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Engr Joseph Utsev, Friday, expressed confidence that with the appointment of new governing boards, and executive teams of the 12 River Basin Development Authorities, RBDAs, food production across the country will be galvanized.

Utsev stated this in his keynote address at their inauguration and retreat organised by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation in Abuja, where he immensely thanked President Bola Tinubu for the appointments which was long expected in order to drive food production and employment generation.

He said the President is a man who is poised with the Renewed Hope Agenda to change the narrative in the 12 RBDAs, therefore, with this inauguration the board chairmen and the executives would actualize the vision of the Tinubu-led administration in no distant time.

He said: “It is with great honour that I warmly congratulate every one of you on your appointments by His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinibu, GCFR, into your respective offices in public interest.

“I use this medium to express my profound appreciation to the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for making this long-awaited aspiration of having a functional Board a reality. This bold gesture underscores his demonstration of visionary leadership and commitment to the effective administration of our River Basin Development Authorities.

“This retreat is normally an administrative routine that has become necessary to get the newly appointed executives more acquainted with the roles and responsibilities that come with occupying such offices to align them with the Government’s strategic priorities for effective management and development of the water resources sector. It is for this reason that eminent Resource Experts have been carefully selected to do justice in onboarding you on this national assignment by helping you to understand some basic operational procedures and aligning them to extant rules and guidelines established for public offices.”

However, the Minister recalled the Performance Bond signed in November 2023 by Ministers and Permanent Secretaries to deliver the mandate of the Renewed Hope Agenda to deliver on its promises to Nigerians, likewise the newly appointed boards and executives are to do same.

“It is also important to note that meeting up with the commitments made by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation during the Performance Bond Signing would require reasonable contributions from the River Basin Development Authorities. Therefore, it is against this backdrop that I boldly charge all the new appointees to work assiduously towards meeting the targets set for your respective Authorities”, he said.

He further stated that, “Distinguished appointees, the Ministry considers the Rivers Board Development Agencies as a strategic representation of its values, goals, and objectives; as such, you are all expected to frantically uphold the standards and reputations of the water sector to enable you to achieve effective water resources management, sustainable development, and service delivery.

“It is within this frame of reference that I recently charged the Department of River Basin Operations and Inspectorate to step up its statutory oversight functioning and operational activities to report all its milestone achievements and challenges timeously to the Ministry’s Management. In a similar vein, modalities have been put in place to assess and reward performance and address underperforming RBDAs.”

On the need to explore alternative funding sources, according to the Minister, the Federal Government has approved the partial commercialisation programme for the 12 RBDAs to strengthen operational efficiency by leveraging on public-private sector partnerships and funding for revitalization of the country’s agricultural landscape for self-reliance and economic development.

He also called for cooperation and synergy of the appointees to drive the RBDAs to achieve the mandate of the Tinubu-led administration’s promises.

“With great pleasure and a deep sense of responsibility, I hereby formally inaugurate each of you as Chairmen of the Governing Boards and Executive Management of your respective River Basin Development Authorities. As we gather for the important retreat, I also declare it officially open”, he said.

Meanwhile, he (Utsev) highlighted various ongoing flagship programmes carried out by the Ministry and implemented by the RBDAs that would also serve as major areas the appointees would focus on to accelerate food security, job creation, empowerment, and socio-economic growth, which include: Partial commercialization and revitalization programme for sustainability of the RBDAs; Partial commercialization and revitalization programme for sustainability of the RBDAs; Songhai Integrated Farming Model to enhance food production and job creation; Graduates and Youths Empowerment Programmme to provide gainful employment for the unemployed; and River Basin Strategy for Poverty Alleviation, utilizing the basin resources to train and empower farmers.

“I urge you to vigorously pursue the successful implementation of these initiatives as you explore other innovative ways towards fast-tracking development in your respective Authorities.

“Other areas the Ministry is keen to draw the attention of the new management to include: Mainstreaming of Integrated River Basin Management principles and practices at the catchment levels in the RBDAs;Improving farmland acquisition, development, and utilization by acquiring more farmland and perfecting both old and new Title Deeds); Improving collaboration with your catchment State Governments to enhance visibility and project ownerships; Increase irrigated agricultural activities and enhance support to farmers; Compliance with Administrative Guidelines and Procedures in Public Service;Strict adherence to Procurement Due Process and Financial Regulations; Implementation of the new Performance Management System (PMS); and Prioritize staff capacity building and welfare”, he added.

Speaking on behalf of the appointees, the Chairman, Lower Benue River Basin Development Authority, Dr Amos Gizo, assured that, “We are willing that by the end of this year, Mr. President will be proud that he has put up a body that will give the Renewed Hope Agenda the desired thing expected in the country. We shall be on the field. It is not a thing to just sit in the office, it is a thing to go on the field, acquire more land, bring in investors, and make sure that Mr. President is proud of us.”

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, Richard Pheewlangwah, said the two-day retreat basically focuses on some key thematic areas, including the role of good leadership and government regulations, integrated river basin management for revitalizing the sector, understanding basic procedural standards and operational guidelines that would enhance a sound administrative system.

Pheewlangwah also pointed out that the RBDAs should be catalytic forces of the Tinubu-led administration’s commitment towards food production, irrigation, job creation and income generation.

“Therefore, achieving these positive economic components heavily depends on the commitment of the Boards and Executive Management in setting priorities, ensuring financial prudence, enhancing transparency, and delivering tangible results”, he stated.