April 23, (THEWILL) – Bayelsans have lamented over the lack of potable water supply in the state, pleading with the State Government to come to their aid.
They made the plea on Tuesday when members of the Federated Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) went around the Yenagoa metropolis to feel the pulse of the people.
Recall that the current administration under Governor Douye Diri had governed for four years without providing potable water for Yenagoa residents.
The Governor had said during his second-term inauguration speech that he would provide potable water for Bayelsans.
“Pivotal in our second tenure will be to address potable water distribution challenges via a comprehensive approach that focuses on efficient utilisation and equitable access to this precious utility. We will thus invest in water production and reticulation, particularly within the state capital,” he said.
From 2021 to 2023, the annual budgets to provide potable water in the metropolis were put at N600 million for 2021, N248,675,727 for 2022, and N1,441,938,082 for 2023. Meanwhile, there is currently no pipe-borne water in Yenagoa.
One of the residents, Preye Thompson, who lives along Osiri Road, pleaded with the State Government to provide potable water to the residents to ease the hardship associated with water scarcity.
He said, “Please let the government provide potable water for us. People are digging boreholes in their houses while those that can’t afford it are buying a can of water from water vendors at N70 while some are selling N100.
Another resident of Yenagoa, Madam Joy Owei, also pleaded with the government to make potable water available.
She said, “Let the government give us water. We are suffering too much because of water. Things are also very expensive. So, if we have water now, it will help us to do our house chores.
A staff of the Water Board who pleaded anonymity revealed that they were buying water from Aboki before a borehole was recently dug in their premises.
She attributed the non-availability of potable water for Yenagoa residents to a lack of funds, adding that there is no money to do anything.
All efforts to get Fredrick Suku-Ogbari, the General Manager of the Water Board, proved abortive as he could not be reached on his phone number. Also, a text message sent to his phone number was not responded to.
About the Author
Amos Okioma is a Correspondent at THEWILL
