By Segun Giwa
Akure – Ondo State Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has expressed the determination of the government to continue to provide adequate water supply in the state, and called for the intervention of Africa Development Bank (AfDB).
Akeredolu made the call on Thursday in Akure when a team from the bank paid him a courtesy visit.
The governor, represented by his Deputy, Mr Agboola Ajayi said the intervention was imperative because adequate provision of portable water was a priority of his government.
He said that since inception of his government, he had provided water for the rural dwellers through the ‘Kamomi Aketi’ rural water support project.
“As at today, over 2000 boreholes have been drilled to over 1000 rural communities across the state.
“The ‘Kamomi Aketi’ today, is a template that has been nationally and internationally embraced for rural water supply across the globe,’’ he said.
Akeredolu said the project, which was for Akure water supply, involved the rehabilitation of Owena, Ondo Road Water Supply Scheme to enable seven local government areas have access to portable water.
He listed the local governments to include Ondo East, Ondo West, Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo, Ifedore, Akure South and Akure North and Akure South Akure.
The Commissioner for Water Resources, Sanitation and Hygiene, Mrs Yetunde Adeyanju, stressed that water and sanitation were priorities of the government “because of the overwhelming evidence that a country’s development and people’s wellbeing depends on efficient provision and use of water.’’
She stressed that government could not do it alone hence the need for involving AfDB.
“To us as government, the two main objectives of this water supply project that we are engaging in are to ensure provision of basic water services both in the state capital and the entire state; and ensure financial viability of the urban water supply projects,” she said.
Mr Tom Mugoya, the Principal Water and Sanitation Engineer of AfDB said the project, if well coordinated, would generate employment for different categories of people, especially graduates and artisans.
He listed various water projects the bank was implementing to include the African Water Facility (AWF), an initiative of the African Ministers Council on Water (AMCOW), which began operations in 2006.
Mugoya said the project was hosted and managed by AfDB with the overall purpose of providing facility to assist African countries mobilise and apply resources for the Water and Sanitation Sector.
He said that this would enable the bank to successfully implement the Africa Water Vision (2025).
He said that AfDB would continue to play important role in addressing water, sanitation and hygiene challenges across Africa and would strengthen existing partnerships and promote avenues for new collaborations among international organisations, governments and local communities.
Mugoya said the bank would be depending on the usual cooperation of government for the reason to discuss how to finance the project. (NAN)
