By Ahmed Rufa’i, Dutse
The Jigawa state governor, Alhaji Muhammadu Badaru Abubakar has released the sum of N18 million to Dutse Capital Development Authority (DCDA) for the clearing of drainages to control annual flooding in the city.
Special Assistant to the governor on Urban Renewal and Development, Arch. Najib Falalu Tukur who made the disclosure said the DCDA is collaborating with the central working committee of the Jigawa state self help groups to clear refuse dumps that have been blocking the water drainages in Dutse metropolis
Tukur explained that the agency in collaboration with 23 self help groups had cleared a total of 37,000 meter drainages within the state capital.
According to the agency they set to clear additional drainages in many parts of the city when a new proposal submitted to the governor for approval and release of funds for the work is achieved
He therefore charged the people to desist from dumping refuse inside the drainage system which is the major cause of flooding every year.
Tukur added that the state government is at the verge of introducing monthly compulsory environmental sanitation across the 27 local government areas and the state capital.
Explaining further he pointed out that when government eventual introduce the policy it will not take it lightly with defaulters irrespective of his/her status.
The special assistant denied allegation of siphoning the sum of six million (N6m) out of the total N18 million.
Tukur noted that the allegation is not true, ‘the governor gave me an assignment and I delivered it perfectly’.
He said “it is a lie, I did not take any thing out of that N18 million we all spend the money for the projects we purchase the working tools and pay the laborers we employed’.