In this report, JUSTIN TYOPUUSU takes a look at
the water scarcity challenge facing Jalingo residents and efforts by
Taraba State government and African Development Bank, AFDB, to end the
scarcity in the capital city.
Scientific research has shown that water covers 70 per cent of the
earth leaving only 30 per cent to dry land. In spite of this large
volume of water, potable drinking water has been the problem facing many
African countries. Considering the large portion occupied by water,
water is expected to be very cheap and available almost for everyone.
Ironically, however, water has remained one almost unavailable.
Efforts by African governments to make water available have led to
establishment of water resources ministries at federal, regional and
state levels in most countries. In Nigeria, for example, politicians
have over the years listed the provision of potable water to citizens
during campaigns as their priority if elected.
This is an attestation to the fact that water, though important, has
become a rarity. It is not an overstatement to say that till date,
millions of Nigerians have not seen a tap with water running from it.
Many Nigerian citizens lack access to potable water, and as a result are
open to diseases like cholera, typhoid, fever and diarrhoea among
others because of the bad water they use, said Dr. Nadir Sanhir, a
Nigeriabased Indian doctor.
Nigerian citizens shoulder the responsibilities that are supposed to
be reserved for the government. For example, the average Nigerian
provides almost all the basic necessities of life like water,
electricity and healthcare. “They mobilise and patch roads in their
communities and many drink in the same ponds with animals and nobody
seems to care,” said Ms. Mimie John.
In Taraba, the pain of water scarcity has continued to bite harder on
residents of Jalingo, the state capital, not to talk of those in the
rural areas, especially during the dry seasons. This is despite efforts
by successive administrations to provide water for the people. In
Jalingo, accessing potable water by residents remains a major problem
forcing residents of the city to rely on local water vendors popularly
called Mai ruwa in Hausa and few streams stretching through the city and
its environs. Public water supply has also remained exclusive for a few
people.
In Mayo Dassa and Kona areas of the city, there are tales of woes and
anguish whenever the stream that divides the two communities dries up
during dry season. The stream is the only source of water for the
people. When the stream dries up, residents of the communities are left
with no other option than to buy from ‘Mai Ruwa’ (water vendors), whose
source of water is unknown.
The cry for water resonates everywhere in the city. Residents of
Lassandi, Sabon Gari, Roadblock, Mile Six and Aungwan Gaadi amongst
others bemoan the recurrent shortage of water and have been calling on
government to provide water for them. From Lankaviri in Lau to
Chanchanji in Takum local government, Yorro to Kurmi, Ibi to Karim
Lamido, it is commonplace to see animals competing with humans for water
in open ponds without drainage system.
During his campaign for the governorship seat, Governor Darius
Ishaku, in obvious recognition of the need to provide water for the
people, sank boreholes in at least five communities even before
elections were held. Water, they say, is life. The governor, on
assumption of office, quickly moved in to complement his efforts in
providing water for the people as part of his rescue mission. He
immediately released N8 million to the state water board to ensure that
water runs in the state capital.
With this move, taps are today running with water in some parts of
the state capital. The governor, within the first three weeks in office,
met with the African Development Bank, AFDB, where formalities were
completed for adequate supply of water.
The agreement was signed in 2012. General Manager, Taraba State Water
Supply Agency, Engr. Musa Buba, when approached for insight into the
project, told National Mirror that AFDB granted the state a long term
loan of N3.6 billion payable in 40 years with an additional moratorium
of 10 years making it a total of 50 years for the provision of water in
Jalingo and its environs.
“Taraba State government in 2009 approached the bank for a loan to
enable the state provide water for her citizens and the loan was fully
signed in 2012, but work did not commence until the governor took over
office. As a former cabinet minister he knew what to do and he did,
leading to the commencement of physical implementation this year.
“The demand of water in the first phase of the project between now
and 2025 is put at 27,054m3 of water per day. And by 2035 we are
expected to be generating 47,273m3 per day and this is our target and we
hope to achieve it.”
Buba said that work on the water project were being handled by Apex
Height, CGC, Ghasalaz and China Zhonghao who are doing the drilling and
rehabilitation of existing boreholes totaling 40 across three locations
in Jalingo, the state capital, as well as laying of transmission
channels for conveying water to reservoirs covering 250 km in Jalingo
and the new Jalingo settlements.
Allaying fears that the project would not be completed on schedule or
that its funds would be diverted, the General Manager of the State
Water Board said, “the project is being monitored by the Federal
Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Water Resources and AFDB and we are not
expecting any failure.”
“By the end of January, Jalingo residents will start seeing
improvement in water supply. Mind you all the contracts were awarded by
the African Development Bank, putting several things into consideration
and we are not expecting any failure,” he assured. On how the water
works would be maintained, Buba said the agency was not generating
revenue at the moment because of poor service delivery, but he assured
that when completed it would be commercialized and it will enable the
agency to generate revenue.
With the speed at which work is progressing on the water works, water
vendors in the state will soon be out of business. Mrs. Jamila
Abdulhamid hailed the project, saying the water works, when completed,
would help reduce the suffering faced by residents of Jalingo who buy
water from vendors without knowing the sources.
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