I want water delivered to Kwarans in 100 days – Abdulrazaq

Gov. Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara on Monday directed the Ministry of Water Resources to deliver constant water supply to specific areas of Ilorin, the state capital, within 100 days.

The governor also asked the ministry and affected consultants to ensure that there was water in every part of the state by getting all the dams working, pledging to give them the necessary support.

AbdulRazaq gave the order during an unscheduled visit to Agba Dam, Asa Dam Water Works and the Western Reservoir.

He said that no part of the state gets constant water supply despite the over N6 billion already sunk into the water reticulation project.

According to him, he might wield the big stick in form of “house cleaning” if the ministry does not deliver on his directive.

“We have a mandate to deliver water to our people within the next 100 days.

“For a start, I want to see constant water supply in specific areas of Ilorin, it may be Ilorin East, South or West, particularly where these dams cover.

“Don’t keep talking. We want action. Our people want water. No part of Ilorin or anywhere in this state do people have water.

“Raise a memo to state on what the problems are and what is needed to fix them. People are tired of empty talk.

“We have to solve the problems now. Forget the big word, reticulation, let’s fix the problem. We need immediate memo on what the problems are and we will give you all the support,” Abdulrazaq said.

The governor said his administration was determined to provide potable water to the entire state, even if in phases, in line with its campaign promises.

“We need to think out of the box. I’m serious about having water in our homes within 100 days. We have the mandate to deliver water to our people,” he said.

Earlier, Alhaji Yahaya Tunde, General Manager of the Kwara State Water Corporation, told the governor that constant electricity supply and treatment materials were the major challenges facing the corporation.

He said all the water works were currently disconnected from power supply because they owe the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) at least N24 million.

Tunde also said a monthly electricity bill of N9.7 million was being incurred.

Apart from the ongoing strike by staff of the water works, Tunde also said they need modern equipment that could monitor water pressure and detect when pipes go bad.

The governor had earlier visited the Kwara State Inland Revenue Service (KW-IRS) where he also directed the body to submit a memo to give a clear picture of the operations there, including how to perform optimally.

He also visited the Ilorin General Hospital where he announced that the state would host a Health Summit for stakeholders in the sector on how to improve healthcare delivery in the state.

Restating his commitment to telemedicine, Abdulrazaq said he would consider better funding and autonomy for the state’s premier hospital as the launch pad for 21st medical technology.