Water Scarcity Hits Benue

Many residents of Makurdi and its environs have been experiencing acute water shortage, forcing them to resort to different measures to get water.

Investigations on Wednesday in Makurdi showed that the residents of Benue North and South Senatorial districts were the worst hit.
CGC Nigeria Limited, the contractor handling Katsina-Ala and Otubi water works, has suspended operation.

The contractor stopped supplying water following the inability of the state government to fulfill the 2013 contract agreement.

The state government had signed a two-year contract with CGC Nigeria Ltd for the maintenance, operation and training of some staff of the ministry in 2012 at the cost of N1.9 billion.

A reliable source in the Ministry of Water Resources told NAN under condition of anonymity that the previous government failed to honour the contract agreement living the burden on the present one.

He said that though the contractor was supposed to handover the water works in 2015 to the Water Board, the state government was yet to fulfill her part of the contract until 2017.

According to the source, the contractor was not paid a single kobo by the past government but the present one has paid N300 Million.

“As I said earlier, it is not possible for the contractor to operate without funds as they need funds to acquire chemicals and other necessary materials needed for water treatment.

“Apart from buying chemicals, they had the responsibility of paying their staff and at the same time run the company.

“They were also task on training our engineers for the purpose of effective take over,” he said.

However, the state Commissioner for Water Resources and Environment Engr. Terlumum Utsev told NAN that the break in the production and supply of water would soon be over, adding that the government was already discussing with the contractor.

Utsav said that the state government was committed to efficient production and water supply in the state, adding that negotiations were underway to commence reticulation of Makurdi township.

He said that government had also concluded plans to rehabilitate Amelladu Water Works that would supply water to Gboko town.

He said that over 1000 water projects were ongoing in the state including boreholes, mini earth dams etc.

Though the past government claimed that it spent over N11 billion on construction of three water projects, water scarcity still remains the a major problem of Benue people.