The Nigeria's President, Muhammadu Buhari has declared
State of Emergency on the country's water, sanitation sector towards the
government's quest in improving water supply and hygiene across the
federation.
The declaration was coming just 24 hours
after Nigerians were informed by the Minister of Water Resources, Mr.
Suleiman Adamu that the number one citizen would on Thursday, 8th
November 2018 declare state of emergency on the said sector.
Mr. Adamu made the disclosure during the Special Town Hall Meeting of
the Federal Government held at Emeritus Prof. Theophilus Ogunlesi Hall
of University College Hospital (UCH) in Ibadan.
The town hall meeting, which held on Wednesday, 7th November 2018, was aimed at briefing the people on the
achievements of the Buhari-led administration in infrastructural development.
“I wish to inform you that for the first time in Africa, President
Buhari is going to declare state of emergency on water and sanitation,
precisely on November 8.
The minister lamented about several abandoned water projects across
the federation under the past administrations and said that sum of N3
billion would be provided annually to states with workable water master
plans.
“The existing master plan on water resources in the country was
abandoned and contracts were awarded without recourse to the needs of
the country.
“To realise adequate water supply, we would increase our intervention
to support state governments to N3 billion annually. This would be for
states that have proper water master plan,” he said.
He said government would also return the monthly environmental
sanitation to address issue of open defecation and other sanitation
issues.
He said the federal government was working round the clock to provide
adequate water supply to communities and cities across Nigeria.
The minister said the present administration had inaugurated many
water projects, among which he said were to cater for power supply,
irrigation dams and domestic water supply.
“This is why the president has decided to take up the responsibility of supporting water infrastructure in Nigeria.’’
The minister also said that the federal government was working on
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the World Bank to assist 6 cities
in country on urban water supply.
He added that government would also sign a partnership arrangement to
improve on the Ikere Gorge Dam in Iseyin to harness its full potential.
Making
the declaration, the president said time had come to rigorously address
the sector in question, which had overtime yearned for rescue.
