POTABLE WATER SUPPLY IN ABIA: ANY HOPE?
The issue of potable water supply in the urban and rural areas of Nigeria has continued to be discussed in various platforms. It would appear that the more it is discussed, the more intractable it becomes. The fact, however, is that provision of potable water for domestic, industrial and agricultural use is a basic function of government.
It is, therefore, a shame that in the 21st Century, some governments do not consider this a priority. The implication of this sad situation is that the health and wellbeing of the people/consumers are obvious – water-borne diseases, high mortality and morbidity rate, loss of man hours due to ill-health and the consequent inability to be able to work, and low productivity, among others.
About 10 years ago, the Federal Government of Nigeria came up with the 3rd Urban Water Sector Reform Project. It was a World-Bank Assisted Urban Water Sector Reform Project. The project was in two phases: Grant for Capacity Building and Reform; and a Loan of more than 50 million US Dollars for infrastructural development. Interested states applied to participate in the project. Abia State applied and was included in the list of participating states.
In a letter of Commitment to participate in the project written to the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, dated October 2, 2015, the Abia State Government stated “… the state is interested in modernizing and commercializing the production and delivery of Water Resources in the urban areas of the state in order to better serve the human, health, productive and hygienic needs of the people of the state….”
The letter signed by the then Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, also expressed the Abia State Government’s commitment “to the optimum reform in the areas of improved water sector governance, investment planning and capacity building.”
This, the letter indicated, would enhance attraction of investment from the Federal Government, international institutions, donors and the private sector.”
To ensure the successful participation of the state in the Urban Water Reform Project, the General Manager of the Water Board, Leonard (Ogbonna)?, an engineer, wrote a letter dated January 20, 2018, requesting the then Governor to approve the recruitment of 67 professionals into the Water Board.
In an obvious attempt to convince the then Governor of the need for the request, the letter said the target was to have a water sector that would be able to pay itself, repay any facility got for investment and increase the internally generated revenue of the state by more than 50 percent
Although the letter received the Governor’s approval for the recruitment, the number was reduced from the 67 requested to 37 professionals which included Mechanical, Electrical and Civil Engineers, Geologists, Microbiologist, Applied Chemist, Plumbers, Security Personnel, ICT personnel and a Welfare Officer.
It is not clear, however, the extent to which the state’s participation in the 3rd Urban Water Reform Project has affected positively the provision of water in the urban areas of the state.
Umuahia, the state capital, has remained without public potable water supply for over 10 years now.
Available information indicates that there are about 52 Water Schemes in the state. None of them is operational. Why? So far, many depend on privately-owned boreholes for their daily water needs, many of them not properly done to produce water fit for human consumption.
(Watch out for Part 2)
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