AFIT PAYS COURTESY VISIT TO ECOLOGICAL PROJECT OFFICE
The Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) Kaduna, paid a familiarization visit to the Ecological Project Office on Tuesday 15 February 2022 in Abuja. The visit is part of the Commandant’s desire to collaborate with all relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies to effectively achieve the mandate of the Institute.
The Commandant, AFIT, Air Vice Marshal Mohammed Aminu Yakubu in his presentation stated that the purpose of the visit was to first introduce himself to the Agency as he continues his familiarisation visit upon assumption of office as the 11th Commandant on January 6, 2022. He also sought the intervention of the Ecological Project Office in controlling erosion that threatens access to student hostels during the rainy seasons. AVM Yakubu further stated that the visit is necessary as the institute depends solely on budgetary allocation and intervention from other federal institutions which are not adequate to address the Institute’s infrastructural needs. He stated that although Tetfund has been intervening in the constructions of lecture rooms and hostels, construction of drainages and flood control is not in their scope of operation.
Explaining the details of the threat of erosion, the Commandant said that efforts in the ongoing construction of the road linking the Institute to Zaria road through Barakallahu Village had been washed away during the past rainy seasons and the flood caused by the erosion has made the road inaccessible by vehicle. This therefore necessitated the appeal for support of the Ecological Project Office to control the erosion by constructing drainages and good roads to link the two major seasonal rivers along the hostels.
The Permanent Secretary, Ecological Project Office Dr. Habiba Muda Lawal in her welcome address said that she is delighted to receive the Commandant and his team. In her response, Dr. Habiba said the Ecological Project Office only drafts requests for projects and makes recommendations for the President who is solely responsible for the approval of all ecological projects nationwide. The Permanent Secretary further acknowledged the receipt of the same request from the Institute in 2019 when AVM CN Udeagulu was the Commandant. She informed the AFIT team that her office has over 2000 requests for ecological projects worth 3.096 Trillion Naira as at October 2021. However, with an annual allocation of 30-35 Billion Naira, it is difficult to execute all projects.
While assuring the Commandant that his request is within the scope of the Ecological Project Office, Dr. Habiba suggested that AFIT needs to revisit the cost of the project because of changes in the cost of materials since 2019.
In response to the Permanent Secretary suggestion, the Commandant requested that the Institute would like a team from Ecological Project Office to visit AFIT for first hand assessment of the affected areas.
