The senator aims to facilitate the distribution of water from the dam to more than 50 communities to cater to both household needs and irrigation purposes.
By Ife Osemedua
365Daily – Leveraging on the Ogwashi-Uku dam, Senator Ned Munir Nwoko (Delta North Senatorial District), is currently leading calls for the federal government to establish integrated farms in Olor and Olodo communities in Aniocha South Local Government Area.
This is in addition to pipe-borne water provision for over 50 communities in Delta North.
To achieve this, Nwoko is partnering with the Benin-Owena River Basin Development Authority, the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Agriculture, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the Delta State government.
The senator aims to facilitate the distribution of water from the dam to more than 50 communities to cater to both household needs and irrigation purposes.
He emphasised that communities within Aniocha South should not be experiencing water scarcity for domestic either or industrial use, given the presence of the Ogwashi-Uku dam.
He also highlighted the potentials for the agricultural economy in the local government area to thrive, leveraging the potential of the dam.
So far, Nwoko has held meetings with the Olor and Olodo communities and the Benin-Owena River Basin Development Authority, an agency of the Federal Government, to initiate the process of establishing integrated federal government farms in these communities. Preliminary land inspections have been conducted, with the senator physically present during the process.
During the meetings, primarily comprising of village chiefs and youth representatives, Nwoko emphasised the need to utilise the dam to establish an additional source of livelihood in the area. He stressed that the establishment of integrated federal government farms will not only create numerous employment opportunities but also attract other developments from the federal government, such as roads and stable electricity.
In discussions with Isaac Wilkie, the Delta State commissioner for Water Resources, the senator disclosed that the Benin-Owena River Basin Development Authority has completed its start-up obligations and is now awaiting the state government’s contribution to initiate the projects effectively.
Nwoko further also emphasised the importance of tapping into the developmental prospects offered by the dam, highlighting that in the nearest future, the dam will provide electricity to Ogwashi-Uku and its surrounding areas.