South East
Stakeholder Blames Lack Of Water Supply On Bad Policy
A former General Manager of Ebonyi State Water Corporation, Mr Paul Okorie, says bad government policy on water management and administration is responsible for the prolonged absence of public water supply in the state.
Okorie, who spoke to journalists last Monday in Abakaliki, said that scrapping of the Ebonyi Water Corporation was a wrong decision taken by the Governor Dave Umahi-led government.
According to him, the supply, management and maintenance of water infrastructure was the responsibility of the water corporation or water board and this is the standard practice globally.
He said that the creation of ministry of water resources as a replacement for water corporation was a bad policy thrust, adding that the responsibility of ministry was policy formulation and provision of articulated roadmap that would aid efficient and effective management of water resources.
“The responsibility of ensuring water supply rests on the shoulders of water corporation or water board as some states like Abia and Imo prefer to call it.
“To give responsibility of administration, management, supplies and maintenance of water infrastructure to the ministry of water resources as it is the case in our state will create serious problem in the water sector management.
“The absence of public water supply in Abakaliki and environs for over two years is a direct result of this policy, “ Okorie said.
Okorie, who was the general manager of the water corporation between 2000 and 2005 decried the state of water infrastructure in the state and called on the government to revamp the ailing sector.
Okorie, who was also a former Commissioner in the Ministries of Works and Environment condemned the handover of the multi-billion naira Oferekpe Water scheme to private concern saying that the decision would further worsen the water problem in the state.
“Let me re-emphasize my earlier position that the responsibility of ensuring water supply to the people rests on the shoulders of the water corporation.
“Handing over the Oferekpe Water scheme to private concern is giving red-card to engineers in government agencies concerned with water supply, and to me, handing it over to private people is not the best.
“The best thing to do is to bring back the scraped water corporation, fund it properly, get the right engineers and staff with service mindset, replace obsolete machines as well as repair broken down ones.’’
The water engineer, who maintained that there was no alternative to potable water urged the Ebonyi Government to urgently tackle the challenges affecting public water supply in the state to avert outbreak of waterborne diseases.
“Water is life and there is no alternative to potable water, hence government should give priority to addressing the challenges in the water sector to ensure that the people have regular access to safe and potable water,” he added.
Our correspondent said that residents of Abakaliki and environs had been without water supply since 2015 from the two mega water schemes at Ezillo and Oferekpe.
The Ezillo Water Scheme, constructed by Chief Jim Nwobodo, then governor of old Anambra our correspondent reported was functional in 1996 when Ebonyi was created residents of the city now depend largely on water from borehole for drinking, cooking and other domestic uses, while the poor and less privileged fetch from pond or well waters.
The police in Ebonyi State say they have discovered the body of a yet to be identified middle-aged woman in a hotel room in Abakaliki, the state capital. The spokesperson of the police in the state, Loveth Odah, stated this yesterday.
She said the body has deep cuts on the chest and neck and has been deposited in a mortuary. According to the spokesman, it was discovered at Crown Garden Hotel located along the ever-busy Afikpo road in the capital city.
Mrs Odah, who said that the victim was found in the pool of her own blood, said the suspect had been identified as one Uchenna Awoke.
She said the hotel manager, Emmanuel Eze, the supervisor, and other workers had been taken to the police station for questioning and accused the hotel management of negligence.
“The manager of the hotel, the supervisor and other staff of the hotel were taken to the station for questioning and I must confess to you that the whole thing is negligence on the part of the hotel management. How can a guest be murdered in a hotel room and days after, the management is not aware of the incident.”
“We will investigate the matter properly and I assure you, the perpetrator of the act must be arrested and prosecuted. All we are asking is for the members of the public to avail the police of useful information that will lead to the arrest of the suspect.”
The Senate yesterday passed the South East Development Commission (Establishment) Bill 2018.
The proposed commission aims at enhancing the infrastructural development of the South East zone, which is grappling with huge ecological challenges.
It also seeks to act as a catalyst for the development of the commercial potential of the zone.
The proposed legislation requires the concurrence of the House of Representatives to become a bill of the National Assembly, and the President’s assent to become a law.
Senators Stella Oduah (PDP-Anambra) and Samuel Anyanwu (PDP-Imo) jointly sponsored the bill read in the Senate on June 22, 2016.
Its passage in the Red Chamber followed the presentation of the report of the Committee on Establishment and Public Service by its former Chairman, Senator Emmanuel Paulker (PDP-Bayelsa), on the floor of the Senate.
The bill, after Paulker’s presentation, was considered clause by clause by the committee of the whole, and amendments made by the lawmakers were read for the third time and eventually passed.
In his remarks, presiding Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, commended his colleagues for a job well done.
In his words, “Every morning we pray that God should give us the grace to do only those things that will promote the peace and unity of this country.
“I believe that we have shown today that we are committed to the unity of this country, and it is this unity that will give us faith in this country.
“This faith will in turn help us to pursue peace and progress,” he said.
Briefing newsmen after plenary, members the South East caucus of the Senate, led by Sen. Enhinnaya Abaribe (PDP-Abia), thanked their colleagues and members of the committee for their efforts.
Abaribe, who spoke on behalf of the caucus, urged the President to sign the bill into law “as soon as we tidy it up and bring to him, in the interest of the unity and progress of Nigeria”.
“This will put to rest the long-drawn agitation in the South East, and the difficulties in the rehabilitation and reconciliation efforts that started at the end of the civil war.
“All things we see always will end up at the negotiating table, which is what we have done,” he said.
The lawmaker said he hoped the House of Representatives would give concurrence to the bill as it went in the Senate.
When established, the South East Development Commission would be the third zonal interventionist body in the country.
Bishop David Oyedepo, the Founder and Presideng Bishop, Living Faith Church Worldwide, on Saturday predicted that nothing would disturb the peace of Nigeria and its story would change for the better in the year 2019.
Oyedepo made the declaration at the just concluded annual prophetic gathering of the Winners’ family, christened the “Dominion”, in a satellite telecast of the church.
In the telecast monitored in Abuja, the cleric also declared that 2019 would be a year of “I have Dominion”.
“Nothing will tamper with the peace of Nigeria; the story will change for the better in the name of Jesus.
“Nigeria shall not see bloodshed, the Prince of Peace will continue to dominate in Nigeria, in Africa and Nigeria is declared blessed.
“Anywhere you step, accident is forbidden; death will not come near you and our nation.
“Anything that is of grace in my life, I freely release upon you today.
“God has opened the year 2019 to us, celebrate Him because its our year of “I have Dominion,” he said.
The Bishop added that the year 2019 would be a year of humbling testimonies for Nigeria and pace-setting testimonies.
He further declared that 2019 would be a colourful year for the nation.
According to the cleric, as long as Jesus has the final say on the issues of Nigeria, it will experience greatness.
Oyedepo said that there would be no more cause of alarm in any area of the nation and its citizens.
He advised Christians in Nigeria to delight themselves in the spirit of servant-hood, adding that the spirit of Christ is the spirit of servant-hood.
“The Spirit of Christ is the spirit of servant-hood. As you keep rising on the ladder of leadership, you must retain our spirit of servant-hood, constantly working to add value to others and be kingdom minded,” he said.
According to him, dedication is at the root of dominion, saying: “Sow yourself as a seed by being totally dedicated to God and His Kingdom’’.
He told his congregation that sacrificial giving guarantees the meeting of all their needs.
“When you engage in taking care of the well-being of others, God is also committed to your well-being,” he explained. The cleric admonished Christians would engage in meeting the needs of the needy, every barrier on their path of destiny would be crushed.
“Nobody tampers with your life, your career, your family and goes away with it because you are promoted to God’s kingdom.
“God will stand for your defence in the day of trouble. Every sacrificial giver has a defence around him in the day of trouble always have that in mind,” he said.
He reminded his congregation that the Church is not a building; the Church is a people and the Redeemed of the Lord.