The Rivers State commissioner for Water Resources, Dr. Tamonusisi Gogo-Jaja has assured Rivers people that will soon they will get potable drinking water.
The commissioner gave the assurance at an event to celebrate the 2022 World Water Day on March 22.
Dr. Gogo-Jaja used the occasion to express the readiness of the Nyensom Wike government to save Rivers people from drinking contaminated water.
He explained that out of 1,998 water factories in Rivers State only 58 factories are save to drink from after due diligent check, saying most of them are with high Ph and high micro elements while some of the boreholes are dug in shallow ground with contamination.
“Our people are drinking contaminated water,” he said.
Commenting on allegations of debt owed theCentral Bank of Nigeria by the Rivers State government, the commissioner said there is no truth about that. He however, clarified on the rumoured $800 million World Bank loan, explaining that the state government returned $31million borrowed from the World Bank immediately it received the 4200 million loan from the African Development Bank for water development scheme in the state.
He further informed concerning the Rivers State water scheme, that the contractor is busy laying pipe for water but warned communities not to disturb the process but rather, strive to own the process and support the contractor.
The commissioner expressed satisfaction with the level of work done, stating that, very soon Rumudomaya and Port Harcourt Township will get potable drinking water.
“We are aggressively laying pipe for water all over Port Harcourt” he said, adding that the ministry has a good relationship with federal agencies.
Prof. Tekina Abam speaking on the theme: “Ground water: making the invisible visible,’’ stated that most of the boreholes in Rivers state lack good quality.
Prof. Abam said although water is the source of life, most people do not pay attention to its values on human life whereas no one can survive without water.
He tasked the government to take inventory of underground water as the data will help stimulate sustainability, while calling for proper water treatment and protection of water sources.
On his part, the managing director of Port Harcourt Water Board Corporation, Dr. Ibibia Walter disclosed that the former Rivers State governor, now the minister of Transportation, Hon. Chubuike Amaechi had paid $2million to a consultant that did not deliver on the mandate. Earlier, the chairman of the occasion who is also the Rivers State Head of Service, Rufus Godwin Esq. expressed optimism that the Wike administration will deliver water to Rivers people noting, that the government is not owing salaries of workers.
