Newly sworn in Kwara State governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq on has directed the state ministry of water resources to ensure the supply of potable water to some specific areas of Ilorin, the state capital, within 100 days.
AbdulRazaq also directed the ministry and relevant consultants to reconnect other parts of Kwara currently without water supply. He gave the directive during an unscheduled visit to Agba Dam, Asa Dam Water Works and Western Reservoir (Adewole) where he discovered that many parts do not get regular supply of water despite the over N6 billion already sunk into water reticulation in Kwara by the previous
administrations.
The governor said he might wield the big stick if the ministry did not deliver on his directive.
“We have a mandate to deliver water to our people and within the next 100 days. For a start, I want to see constant water supply in specific areas of Ilorin, it may be Ilorin East, South or West or anywhere these dams cover.
“We want action. Our people want water. No part of Ilorin or anywhere in the state do people have water. “Raise a memo to state what the problems are and what’s required to fix them. People are tired of empty talk “We have to solve the problems now. Forget the big word reticulation, let’s fix the problem. We need immediate memo on what the problems are and we will give you all the support,” he said.
The governor explained that his administration was determined to provide potable water to the state, even if in phases, in line with its campaign promises. “We need to think out of the box. I’m serious about having water in our homes.
We have the mandate to deliver water to our people.” Yahaya Tunde, the general
manager of the water corporation, however, informed that electricity supply and treatment materials were the major challenges.
He explained that all the water works were disconnected from power supply because they owed the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) about N24 million. He said the water
corporation has a monthly electricity bill of N9.7 million. Apart from the ongoing strike action by staff of the water works, Tunde also said they needed modern equipment that can monitor water pressure and detect when pipes go bad.
The governor had earlier visited the Kwara State Inland Revenue Service (KW-IRS) where he also directed the body to submit a memo to give a clear picture of the happenings there, including how to perform optimally.
