By Charles Adingupu
The Delta State Government has awarded contracts for 123 water schemes to various contractors in the last 10 months to end the perennial scarcity of potable water in the state.
The state’s Commissioner for Water Development, Chief Samuel Mariere who made this disclosure in Asaba, the state capital, while accounting for his stewardship, said out of the 123 projects, 40 were to be jointly executed by the World Bank, Federal Ministry of Water Resources, and the State Sustainable Urban and Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (SURWASH).
Mariere who said the schemes were all recently awarded and contractors mobilised with 25 per cent down payment, expressed the hope that in the next three months, the people of the state will start enjoying the benefits of these projects.
”The schemes include rehabilitation and improvement works of Udomi Abavo water supply scheme in Ika South Local Government Area (LGA) of the state and reactivation of Osubi water supply scheme Okpe LGA,’’ he said.
The commissioner also said that the ministry and its agencies awarded other contracts for 73 water schemes, adding that out of the projects, 64 had been completed, while nine were ongoing.
”Among the completed schemes are the rehabilitation of the state water laboratory in Asaba, construction of hybrid solar powered water supply scheme and treatment plant at Tisun and Kolokolo in Warri North LGA,” he said.
He disclosed that the government had successfully completed the State Water Master Plan. “We also completed the Performance Improvement Action Plan (PIAP) for various agencies and this attracted a reward of 2.5 million dollars from the World Bank, though we are yet to receive payment,” he said.
Speaking further, Mariere said, “The World Bank recently released the sum of one million dollars to the state as initial advance from which we paid the 25 per cent for the water schemes and we also paid our consultants.”
He commended Governor Ifeanyi Okowa noting that another project that was dear to him was the concession of the Warri Effurun Water Scheme. The project which started when the state was part of the old Bendel State, has been completed and is ready to distribute water to the homes of those in Warri, Uvwie, and Udu LGAs of the state.
”The major huddle was the request by the concessionaire and the financial institution for a guarantee that when the water is produced, within 36 months, the State will agree to offset the shortfall above 20 per cent and below 70 per cent of revenue.
”The State Executive Council recently approved the guarantee for about N4.5 billion which the State House of Assembly has approved.
”We can say without fear of contradiction and by the grace of God that in the next three months, the water story in Asaba to Okpanam and Ibuza, Warri, Uvwie, Udu and many communities both in the coastline and upland will be for the better,” he stated.
