Osun Govt. spends N2.6bn on water scheme rehabilitation

The Osun government said on Thursday that it would spend N2.6 billion on the ongoing rehabilitation of its water works at Ede town.

The General Manager of the Water Corporation, Mr Gbenga Owojuyigbe, disclosed the amount when the House of Assembly Committee on Water, Environment and Sanitation visited the corporation in Ede.

Owojuyigbe said the government had earlier spent N424 million during the first phase of the emergency rehabilitation of the water works.

The general manager said the rehabilitation of the water works was to ensure adequate supply of water in the state.

He said that at the end of the rehabilitation, 12 local governments under the catchment area of the water works would be adequately supplied with water.

“The essence of this rehabilitation is to bring the water works back to its full capacity,’’ Owojuyigbe said.

Responding, Mr Kamorudeen Akanbi, the Chairman of the Committee, said the essence of the visit was to check the level of work done at the scheme.

Akanbi said there had been complaints of lack of water from people in the state due to the rehabilitation.

He said the committee was impressed with the level of work done so far.

Akanbi noted that the management of the corporation had assured the committee that the rehabilitation would be completed in the next four months.

He told the management of the water corporation to provide alternative means of providing water to the people to minimise their hardship in searching for drinking water.

Akanbi urged the corporation to use water tankers to distribute water to the people pending the period the rehabilitation would be completed