Water supply is a major problem in Ekiti, which successive administrations have battled unsuccessfully. But Governor Kayode Fayemi’s administration is coming to rescue with its frantic effort in ensuring Ekiti residents have unfettered access to potable water for human consumption, writes Correspondent RASAQ IBRAHIM
FORTY SEVEN-YEAR-OLD house wife, Mrs. Ibidapo Fatuase and her husband, had a plan for their only child, Diran. They looked forward to a brighter future for him but their hope was shattered because of unavailability of potable water.
“My son became a shadow of himself before finally dying in August 24, 2016. He complained of stomach pain on several occasions in the days leading to his death. When she visited the hospital for Medicare, he was told that the bad water he was drinking was the cause of his illness.
“He was told not to drink it again but because there was no alternative, he had to continue to drink it. He died eventually as a result of consumption of the muddy water available for drinking,” he said.
Ekiti, like most states in Nigeria, is faced with the challenge of non-availability of potable water. For the people of Ekiti, things were no longer at ease due to the acute scarcity of clean water which has since reduced daily existence to living hell.
The availability of adequate water supply both in quality and quantity is essential for human existence but water in Ekiti state is a scarce commodity. Although there are three major dams in the state- Ero Dam, Egbe Dam and Ureje Dam that could supply potable water to all the nook and cranny of the state but they have continued to be neglected by successive administrations.
When those familiar with history visit Ekiti, they are always nostalgic about Ero Dam, the largest and biggest water dam in Southwest. It used to be the main water supplier for virtually all communities.
The dam, located at Ikun-Ekiti in Moba Local Government Area of Ekiti State is bounded in the North by Kwara State, in the West by Ikosu-Ekiti, in the South by Ijesamodu-Ekiti and in the East by Ilejemeje Local Government Area. Ikun-Ekiti is a border town between Ekiti State and Kwara State and it is located about 70km from Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti state capital.
Ero Dam inaugurated on Friday, March 15,1985 by General Muhammadu Buhari, and was specially established for two purposes, one to provide potable water for the people of Ekiti State and two, to serve as tourists’ centre.
When it was inaugurated, it became a must-visit monument and a tourists’ centre. It was the pride of Ekiti State. The dam supplied potable water to eight council areas, including Moba, Ilejemeje, Ido/Osi, Ikole, Oye, Irepodun/Ifelodun, Ijero and Ekiti West.
Read Also: We’ll complete Ero, Egbe dams in June, says Fayemi
With time, Ero Dam began to wear mournful looks due to negligence by successive administrations, which affected the operation of the water works. The dam had been abandoned and allowed to underperform despite having the capacity to supply the bulk of Ekiti communities with potable water.
However, the once-neglected 35-year-old Ero Dam would soon bounce back to relevance in June 2020 to serve its purposes. When completed, it would provide uninterrupted potable water for 66 communities in 10 council areas of Ekiti State. Thanks to the concerted interventions of World Bank and the Ekiti State government.
The perennial water shortage, which the residents of Ekiti had been experiencing, triggered Governor Kayode Fayemi to seek technical and financial assistance from international donor agencies to carry out holistic rehabilitation of the abandoned dam.
Before he left office, World Bank acceded to his request to help in the rehabilitation of the Ero Dam under the project tagged ‘3rd National Urban Water Sector Reform Project ‘ and consequently a $55 million agreement was signed between the Bank and Ekiti State government towards the tail end of his administration in 2014.
Unfortunately, the immediate past administration abandoned the project and did not access the fund nor continue with the project until Fayemi came back to office in October, 2018.
Immediately Fayemi was sworn in in 2018, work commenced to revamp the water works with the primary purpose of providing potable water for communities for human and animal consumption.
On December 29, 2018, respite beckoned when Governor Fayemi flagged off the rehabilitation of the dam and replacement of transmission main pipelines in ensuring Ekiti people have access to potable water.
According to him, the programme was borne out of the need to inculcate best global practices in Ekiti. The project will be due for completion within 18 months.
“We want all and sundry, irrespective of social and economic status to have access to potable water.
“Water is life; people can live for a long time without food, but not without water. This underscores the essence of good water in our life.
He said the 3rd Urban National Water Sector Reform Project, when completed, is expected to help the state address its huge water challenges as well as curb open defecation.
According to Fayemi, the multi-million dollar project would alleviate water problems of the 10 local government areas supplied by the dam when uninterrupted potable water is made available to them.
He stated that his administration has been investing in the water and sanitation sector with efforts to rehabilitate some of the dams within the state in collaboration with the European Union and the World Bank.
He noted that with the intervention of the World Bank, the Ekiti State Water Corporation has been driving the water sector reform process with the investment in human and infrastructure to deliver a transformed and effective water service within the state.
While calling on governments at various levels to work in synergy towards meeting the water needs and sanitation demands of the country, Governor Fayemi said the adverse effects of potable water shortage are noticeable in the high cost of water to low income group who source for alternative vendors.
He added that this leads to high hospital bills incurred in the treatment of water-borne diseases.
“The Third National Urban Water Sector Reform Project which has three participating states is being funded by the World Bank in collaboration with each state respectively, and now is set to achieve, among other things, a sustainable urban water programme.
The reform has started yielding fruits in the State Water Corporation with heavy investment in human capital development, increased awareness on tariff, billing and collection. We hope that at the end of the project, Ekiti State will get value for money as tremendous and visible improvement must have been achieved in the WASH sector”, he said.
The project received huge boost last Monday when Fayemi took delivery of the last batch of the water equipment worth N1.4 billion needed for completion.
The equipment, which were delivered and inspected by the governor, included nine units of High Lift Pump, six units of Low Lift Pump and two units of Upwash Pump. They are part of the contract for the rehabilitation of the dam funded by the state government and the World Bank.
The governor said the vision of his administration was to ensure that the dam functions in its full capacity by supplying 1 million cubic litres of water daily to 10 of the 16 local government areas.
The governor added that the project would be completed by June this year even as the rehabilitation work on Egbe Dam which serves the remaining six local government areas is near completion.
He said the plan of the administration is to ensure that virtually all communities in Ekiti State will have access to potable water by the time the rehabilitation works on the two dams and Ureje waterworks are completed.
He revealed that his visit to the dam was to ensure that the pumps acquired are in compliance with specifications.
“There are a lot of things that we are doing that we have to monitor for it to be delivered on time and on cost. I spoke about the rehabilitation of our dams among other things -Ero Dam, Egbe Dam, Ureje Waterworks in Ado Ekiti. I did mention that we are expecting that rehabilitation of these dams will be done; water will be flowing in most of our communities the pipes works will be completed all in 2020.
“By June this year, we expect this to have been completed. The last batch of equipment that we are expecting for this to become a reality came in yesterday. These are the high lift water pumps and the low lift water pumps for Ero Dam and that is what I came to inspect to ensure that, one they are here, they came as inspected because we sent a team to India to inspect these and ensure that they are in compliance with the specifications given.
“In many of the communities, we have fetching points already. It is not that they have been dry for long but we have put temporary measures in place. They have been running but not in the manner we want them run. They are running in trickles. We feel that by the time the entire pipe works are completed; virtually all our communities will get water.
“This dam serves 10 local government areas. It is a million cubic litres on daily basis when running in full capacity. Egbe Dam covers the other six local government areas and the Akoko parts of Ondo State. That’s also being completed. The high lift pumps have also arrived and they are coupling it together to ensure they are working,” he said.
On his part, the Onikun of Ikun, Oba Olatunde David Olusola, described the revival of Ero water scheme as further demonstration of Governor Fayemi’s international connection.
Oba Olusola explained that his people are particularly happy that the problem of unavailability of potable water affecting the people’s livelihood will be ended and clean water would be brought to their door steps.
He commended Governor Fayemi for his efforts in resuscitating the Ero Dam to serve the people’s immediate needs, saying the project, when completed, will have directed not only the lives of Ikun people but the entire state.
“We have suffered a lot due to lack of access to clean water. We have seen hell but thank God for giving us Governor Fayemi who had deemed it fit to embark on turnaround maintenance at Ero Dam which is capable of providing the whole state with potable water for human and animal consumption.”
The monarch, however, appealed to government to implement the original Master Plan of Ero Dam and relocate the administration offices from its current location, Ido-Ekiti to Ikun-Ekiti, saying such would enhance workers’ efficiency and effectiveness.
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