Lawmakers lament lack of potable water in constituencies
NAN-AE-10
Water
By Tosin Kolade
Abuja, Jan. 12, 2017 (NAN) Some members of the House Committee on Water Resources on Thursday bemoaned the lack of potable water in their constituencies.
They said this when the committee members, led by its Chairman, Hon. Aliyu Pategi, paid an oversight visit to the Federal Ministry of Water Resources in Abuja.
They said urgent steps were needed to be taken to provide potable water for people in these communities.
Hon. Linda Chuba-Ikpeazu, representing Onitsha North/South Federal constituency, Anambra, lamented the unavailability of potable water in the state, saying there was the need for an intervention from the Federal Government.
She said it was saddening to note that the Greater Onitsha Water Scheme had been abandoned since its commencement in 2005.
The lawmaker stressed the need for speedy rehabilitation of the project to enable it meet the needs of the people.
She also called for the payment of backlog of money owed contractors, saying the project completion would go a long way to improve the lives of people in the area.
Hon. Zephania Jisalo, representing AMAC/Bwari Federal constituency, called on the Federal Government to assist the FCT residents, saying many inhabitants in the area lack access to potable water.
He said when this was done, a lot of water-borne diseases and deaths would be reduced to barest minimum and the sufferings of people to get water would reduce.
According to him, these facilities will ameliorate the sufferings of people living in the satellite towns.
“We urge you to give attention to satellite towns and some areas in the FCT because they are in need of water and that is one way a common man can benefit from the Federal Government.’’
Hon. Lawan Mahmud, representing Dikwa/Konduga Federal constituency, also expressed worry over the status of Biu dam, saying its completion would go a long way to improving the lives of people in Borno.
Mahmud called for inclusion of IDPs camps in priority projects for 2017, pointing out reconstruction of communities sacked by insurgents was ongoing, hence the need for water to be available.
In his response, the Minister, Mr Suleiman Adamu, said it was not the sole responsibility of the Federal Government to provide water but the responsibility of the state government.
He said Federal Government could only assist other tiers of government to increase water supply subject to availability of funds.
The minister said the Federal Government had carried out a Technical audit of the Biu dam and realised that the dam cannot support the water scheme envisaged.
Adamu said the government was considering whether to scale down the project or not.
He expressed regret about the failure of some state governments to take ownership of completed water projects, saying this trend needed to be reversed. (NAN)
TAK/MOL/AFA
Edited by Mustapha Lamidi/Felix Ajide