The Kogi State Commissioner for Water Resources, Abdulmumuni Danga has appealed to residents of Lokoja, to exercise patience over the lingering water scarcity in the state capital.
The appeal followed a protest in Lokoja where residents called on Governor Yahaya Bello to sack the Commissioner.
According to the spokesperson of the protesters, Malam Tijjani Adomu Usman, the call became necessary after several months of suffering by women and children in getting water across the state Capital.
Mallam Tijjani explained that buying from water vendors was becoming expensive as people now resort to scouting for water wherever they were available very early in the morning or late at night.
He noted that residents were promised several weeks ago that regular water supply would resume as soon as the flood was over but that months after, the hardship of getting water remained.
However, Danga in an interview with journalists on Wednesday, said that the shortage of water supply was due to the huge damage to their mechanical and electrical equipment by the 2022 floods at the Ganaja Water Works.
According to him, the whole equipment was submerged and damaged by the 2022 floods that ravaged the state.
He said that Gov. Yahaya Bello has since given approval for the replacement of affected equipment, adding that arrangements are in top gear to bring the replacements into the country.
The Commissioner said that the delay experienced was due to the festive season.
”Most of these equipment are not something you can get in the country so we have to have them shipped to Nigeria.
“As at last night, all the equipment had been loaded on the ship and we should be expecting them very soon.. In the next two weeks, everything will be sorted out.
“We are doing our best as government to reduce water scarcity in Lokoja to the barest minimum,” the commissioner said.
Danga noted that as palliative measure, the government had done some repairs at the Old Lokoja Water Works for water supply to some parts of the state.
According to him, the Old water works is currently supplying water to nearby communities of Kabawa, Karaworo, Ipata, Cantonment, Maigari palace and Traditional areas of the confluence city.
He said that he had personal meetings with some leaders, groups and residents, to brief them on the problem and effort to address it.
“I believe in the next two weeks the equipment will arrive and it will not take between four to five days to install them, and water will be restored to the metropolis,” Danga assured.
Meanwhile, two residents of Phase 1 and Phase 2, Lokoja, Mrs Joy Ojeme, and Mrs Ruth Alabi, told NAN that the water scarcity had brought untold hardship.
They said a jerrican of 25 litres of water that used to be sold at N10 now goes for N50.
They appealed to the government to fulfill its promise in restoring water supply to the entire confluence city. (NAN)
