• Communities get help 25 years after
• We’ll soon complete projects across state – LWC MD
When we published a report few weeks ago about water challenges in Lagos State and how depraved business people were latching onto the opportunity to flood the state, Lagos Island in particular, with all manners of packaged water, the Lagos State government assured that it was working hard to end the challenges of lack of access to potable water in the state.
The government’s statement, though sounded like the usual tongue in the cheek response of state actors to media inquiry, but recent completion of Abesan water works in Alimosho local government area of the state where the people had suffered water challenges for 25 years showed that the government is walking its talk and may by so doing end the business of killer water merchants. INNOCENT DURU reports.
For the past 25 years, the residents of Abesan Estate, the largest estate in Lagos State and environs had grappled with the challenges of having clean and potable water.
The water sources, wells and boreholes are polluted by petroleum products sipping into them from burst pipes.
Consequently, the people could not use the water and had to travel many miles to buy water which they weren’t sure of its fitness for consumption.
But the people heaved a sigh of relief recently when the state government revived and recommissioned the moribund the Mosan Okunola water works at Abesan Estate.
Elated by the development, the traditional leader of Fatade area of Alimosho, High Chief Kamorudeen Amao said: “We thank God for what the Lagos state government has done. I am very happy that they have intervened in our situation. Our prayer is that God will give them the grace to maintain it.”
The water plant will provide two million gallons of water per day for the people.
Prior to the revival of the water plant, Chief Amao said: “We have been having water challenges for the past 25 years. Petrol sipping into the ground was affecting our water. When we fetch water from our boreholes, it is petrol that we would get from it. The polluted water was affecting our people.
“Personally, each time I bathed with it, I always had challenges with my skin. There have been reported cases of skin irritation by people using the water. Instead of using the water, we would rather travel some distances to fetch water.”
Asked how well they trusted the water they were going to fetch, Chief Amao said: “We still cannot vouch for the water we were fetching from other places. We just have to make do with what we have. We buy that water because we feel that it is somehow good when you drink it.”
The traditional leader of Baruwa, Alhaji Halid Baruwa was also gladdened by the intervention of the state government.
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“We thank God for what the Lagos State government has done with this project,” he said as he went down memory lane to relive the hardship they had suffered as a result of not having access to clean water.
“Our water was polluted by petrol since 1998. We were always buying water. As retired civil servants, we were buying water using the meager pensions we are receiving.
“We can’t tell how good the water we were buying was because we had no opportunity of carrying out laboratory test on them. There is no any form of treatment for the water the water that the federal government provided for us, we were told is not fit for human consumption because of the iron content.”
Speaking at the re-commissioning of the project and flag off of reticulation extension in Baruwa area of Alimoso Local Government area of the state the General Manager of Lagos Water Corporation (LWC), Engineer Mukhtaar Tijani expressed joy that the project saw the light of the day in spite of challenges facing the corporation. His words: “I stand before you today with great joy and enthusiasm as we gather to witness a significant milestone in the provision of potable water to our communities. Before delving into the details of the Abesan Mini Waterworks project, let me briefly speak on some of the challenges faced by the Lagos Water corporation today.
“Lagos, with its status as one of Africa’s most densely populated cities, serves as Nigeria’s economic hub, boasting a population of over 21 million inhabitants. The Lagos Water Corporation (LWC), tasked with providing potable water in the state, has encountered hurdles over the years, including aging infrastructure, energy shortages, and operational limitations.
“In response to these challenges, the state government, under the leadership of our Governor Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, took proactive measures to revitalize and reposition the Lagos Water Corporation.
I must express our gratitude for the unwavering support from Governor Sanwo-Olu and the Hon. Commissioner of Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab. With their support we have embarked on several initiatives that will reposition the corporation for operational and commercial efficiency, such as:
● On-going emergency Intervention on Adiyan Phase I, Iju and Akute Intakes, which when completed will increase the plants (Adiyan & Iju) capacity utilization.
● On-going Rehabilitation of Isashi Waterworks and extension of Reticulation to LASU & Iba Estate
● On-going internal restructuring of the operations of Lagos water Corporation.
● On-going addition of 70MGD Adiyan Phase II Water Treatment Plant Project, which when completed will serve almost 3million of the State population with impact to the following areas (Ipaja, Ayobo, Idimi, Ikotun, Isolo, Kirikiri, Amuwo, Ajegunle, Apapa, Agege extension and boost supply to already served Lagos metropolis).
These Initiatives when concluded will significantly contribute to our goal of providing potable water to the residents of Lagos State.”
Continuing, he said: “Now, let’s shift our focus to the reason we are here today, the Abesan–Baruwa Water Supply Scheme. Recognizing the immediate need to address water supply challenges in the Abesan Housing Estate, the Lagos Water Corporation embarked on a targeted approach to solve this problem in the most efficient manner possible.
“Two key water sources, Mosan Okunola 2MGD Waterworks in Abesan Estate and the Adiyan Phase I Waterworks, supplied water to this area. Knowing that Adiyan Phase I waterworks is currently undergoing rehabilitation and will be unable to operate at optimal capacity until the conclusion of the rehabilitation, we shifted our focus to the non-operational Mosan Okunola Plant. The restoration of the plant became a priority for us. The extensive rehabilitation work done on the plant includes but is not limited to the rehabilitation of existing electro-mechanical infrastructure such as pumps, drilling of new boreholes, and power equipment upgrades including a new transformer and earthing system.
“I am pleased to announce that through the hard work and collaborative efforts of the contractor Aquadrill Nigeria Ltd and the project team led by Engr Lawal of LWC, the operational capacity of the Mosan Okunola 2MGD Waterworks has been successfully restored. In addition to this, the 5km reticulation network around the estate is now energized, as we have carried out significant repairs to the pipe network over the past 6 weeks and as we speak we have over 5 metered customers receiving water from this water treatment plant in Abesan Estate.
“At the Abesan Estate Gate on Ipaja Road, we have connected this water treatment plant to the Baruwa community who has suffered significant ground water issues in recent times. The successful linkage of the Mosan Okunola Plant with Baruwa community now allows us to supply water to specific areas, including Baruwa compound, Taiwo close, Fatade Road, Sule Street, Oyewole Street, and Pipeline Road. Looking ahead, we plan to extend the pipe reticulation within Baruwa, covering approximately 3km. This expansion will positively impact areas such as Asalu Lawal Street, Ajibola Street, Remilekun Street, Odubakin Street, Adebanjo Street, Kareem Street, and more.”
The MD went on to appreciate the host community, saying: “I want to extend my gratitude to the residents of Abesan and Baruwa for their input and cooperation during our test running phase, where valuable feedback was received and leakages were reported by residents, we most especially appreciate individuals like Mrs. Shola, Mr. Sakaraya, Mr. Remi, and others for their contributions. Special thanks to the Baale of Baruwa Community for his support during the network linkage implementation. We could not have done it without all of you.
“I am going to conclude this speech by calling for the cooperation and collaboration of the residents of Abesan and Baruwa. I call on you to reconnect to Lagos Water Corporation services and ensure prompt payment of your water bills. To incentivize this, we are offering fifty (50) free house connections on a first-come, first-serve basis. We assure you that our operational team will promptly address leakages and customer requests, ensuring continuous supply of quality, potable water to the community.
“A heartfelt thank you to our partners, including the Federal Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, USAID, WaterAid, Resilient Water Accelerator, and others. Your continued support is invaluable. We also seek your support for the timely completion of the pipe reticulation extension within Baruwa.
To our esteemed principal, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, today’s achievements were made possible through the internal revenue generated by LWC. With your continued support, we pledge to achieve even more and remain steadfast in delivering on Mr. Governor’s THEMES+ Agenda.Thank you all for being part of this success story, and we look forward to a future of improved water supply for Lagos State.”