Poor counterpart funding threatens N10b world bodies’ projects in Cross Rivers

Over N10b World Bank and European Union-United Nations Children Fund (EU-UNICEF) projects in Cross Rivers State are threatened, due to non-payment of counterpart funding by the state government.

But with recent approval by the State House of Assembly, it is hoped that work on all the sites will take off and compensations paid accordingly. 

The State Coordinator for Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP), Dr. Fidelis Anukwa could not be reached for comments on some projects, but sources in the affected World Bank, EU-UNICEF and Federal government agencies said: “We are supposed to do new sites like Ikot Uduak in Calabar Municipal, Itache and Igaba in Ogoja Local Government Area and few other places by now, but the delay in completion of previous projects have stalled their award and take off. They are all tied to the issue of non-release of counterpart funding by the state.