The dailytrust had reported that President Goodluck Jonathan had directed the National Economic Management Team (NEMT) to review dam projects across the country following an evaluation of the Architect Ibrahim Bunu-led Presidential Projects Assessment Committee report on water projects which indicated that the country was losing 3,600 megawatts of electricity due to poor designs and improper costing of dams across the country.
Information Minister Labaran Maku disclosed this yesterday while briefing newsmen on the outcome of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by Jonathan at the Council Chamber of the State House, Abuja.
He said the council also yesterday approved new guidelines for the presentation of project proposals to the FEC for approval, saying the modalities were to prevent future mistakes where awarded projects were abandoned.
Maku, who briefed newsmen alongside Works Minister Mike Onolememen, Minister of State for Finance Yerima Lawal Ngama, said the resolution followed a briefing by Bunu committee, which he said indicated that the country has about 200 dam projects some of them completed while others were at various stages of completion.
He said Bunu told the council that the dam projects were designed to supply water for human consumption, generate about 3,600 mega watts of electricity for the nation and were also designed to have the capacity to irrigate 3.1 million hectors of land for various agricultural purposes.
The council also agreed to reinforce the technical departments of some of the key construction ministries for efficient supervision of projects and that in drawing up agreements on contracts, public interest must supersedes contractors’ interests.
