Kebbi state governor, Atiku Bagudu has assured the people of the state that no community will be without portable water before 2023.
The Chief of Staff to the Governor, Suleiman Argungu affirmed the governor’s position while inspecting borehole drilling equipment at the premises of State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency, RUWASSA office in Birnin Kebbi on Monday.
The visit to RUWASSA was sequel to the governor’s directive after his visit to Tsohon Garin Masama in Arewa local government last week.
Bagudu had ordered the Commissioner for Water Resources and Rural Development, Kangiwa to provide portable water to the village after he received a complaint from the village head.
Accompanied by Kangiwa, Argungu inspected the stores as well as drilling equipment to ascertain the readiness of the agency to carry out the directives of the governor.
Shortly after inspecting the stores and drilling machines at RUWASSA, the Chief of Staff told journalists that the visit followed the directives of the governor to ensure that the communities in the state are provided with portable drinking water.
“What informed our visit here is to comply with His Excellency’s directives. When we visited Kaare District in Yeldu, one of the village heads stopped us and complained that they were still having difficulty in getting portable water.
“And his Excellency could vividly recalled that about three years back, he gave approval to the Ministry of Water resources to provide those communities with portable drinking water. Unfortunately what we gathered, and what was informed by the village head was that about three locations were selected and drilled.
“Unfortunately up to the depth of 120 meters they could not get water. But coincidentally, just 150 meters away from that community, the same contractor constructed a borehole in that community at 80 meters and reached water source.
“So the Ministry, the contractor and the community all agreed after the contractor complained he could not reach water in that location. The ministry directed that he should go to the same village where they got water at the opposite site and construct another well for the two communities to share.
“And the governor has promised that before 2023, God’s willing, there will be no community that would not have portable water.
Argungu emphasized that the visit to RUWASSA was to see the drilling rigs, the challenges they are facing to make sure that one of the drilling rigs was mobilized to the village on Monday.
He further said the the GM of RUWASSA and his staff have confirmed to him that they have the equipment and other accessories that the village would get portable drinking water in the next one week.
