A bill to establish the Cross River State Irrigation and Dams Authority, conceptualize, design, procure, construct, manage and regulate irrigation, dams & reservoirs in the state has scaled the first reading at Cross River House of Assembly during plenary on Tuesday.
The bill was sponsored by the member representing Yala 1 State Constituency and Chairman, House Committee on Public Accounts, Hon Brian Odey. The proposed legislation seeks to establish for the state an irrigation and Dams Authority hereinafter referred to as the Authority.
Hon Brian who presented the lead debate said the Authority shall be a body corporate with perpetual succession and a common seal , have power to sue and be sued in its corporate name, and be capable of holding, purchasing and disposing of property, whether moveable and immovable, for the purpose of carrying out it’s functions under the law.
He added that the New irrigation and Dams Authority, when established, would benefit Cross Riverians by boosting agricultural extension as well as the provision of dams for irrigation, rural feeder roads development, among others.
Meanwhile, irrigation and Dams Authorities are established to, among others, undertake comprehensive development of both surface and underground water resources for multipurpose use with particular emphasis on the provision of irrigation infrastructure and the control of floods and erosion and for watershed management; construct, operate and maintain dams, dykes, wells, boreholes, irrigation and drainage systems and handover all lands to be cultivated under the irrigation schemes to the farmers; supply water from the Authority’s Storage Schemes to all users for a fee; construct, operate and maintain roads and bridges linking project sites; and develop and keep up-to-date and comprehensive water resources master plan as well as water resources, water use, socio-economic and environmental data of the dams concerned.
