The contractor handling the Katsina-
Ala and Otubi water works in Benue
State has stopped pumping water to
different parts of the state, leading to
water scarcity, the News Agency of
Nigeria (NAN) reports. Investigations by NAN showed that the
people of Katsina-Ala and Otukpo were
the worst hit. The investigations revealed that the
contractor handling the project
stopped supplying of water on grounds
of contractual breaches. NAN recalls that the state government
signed a two-year contract with CGC
Nigeria Ltd for the maintenance,
operation and training of some staff
of the ministry in 2012. A reliable source in the Ministry of
Water Resources told NAN that the
government had yet to commence
payment on the new contract, which
sparked off the strike. The source who pleaded anonymity,
said:“the contractor had not been paid
a single kobo. “It is not possible for them to operate
without funds as they need funds to
acquire chemicals and other necessary
materials needed for water treatment. “Apart from buying chemicals, they
have to pay their staff and run the
company. They are also training our
engineers.” NAN recalls that the Chairman of
Otukpo Local Government Council, Dr.
Innocent Onuh, had earlier blamed the
outbreak of cholera epidemic in the
council on ‘the lack of potable water. Onuh who spoke in a telephone
interview with the NAN said that 20
infected children in the local
government had been hospitalised. “For the past one month, Otukpo
residents do not have potable water;
the water works is no longer pumping
water as the staff had refused to work
to press for the payment of salaries. “As a result of this, cholera epidemic
has hit the local government; people
are dying and over 20 children are
currently on admission at the General
Hospital, Otukpo. “As for the number of deaths, I cannot
specifically tell you now because most
of the cases are being recorded in the
hinterland. But we are also
collaborating with the state
government and the state ministry of health to stem the disease. “I can assure you that we are on top of
the situation; people are also receiving
treatment at few private hospitals in
the town. “Apart from that, we have also
intensified publicity around the town,
informing the people on the need for
them to boil their water before
drinking. Meanwhile, a cross-section of the
residents have appealed to the state
government to come their aid, to
prevent deaths and possible outbreak
of the disease in other areas. Mrs. Joy Audu, a resident, who spoke
with NAN on telephone, lamented the
continued spread of the epidemic
among the villages in the council. Audu attributed the outbreak of the
epidemic in the local government to
the lack of potable water, adding that
many people would be affected, if the
situation was not controlled through
the provision of potable water. “This epidemic started in Otukpo town
few weeks ago when we could not
access potable water; the ailment has
continued to spread to other parts of
the council and the fear is that it is
becoming prevalent. “The situation in the villages is
alarming; people are dying, and
nobody seems to be talking about it.’’ Also speaking Mr. James Igba, a
resident of Katsina-Ala, decried the
continued lack of potable water supply
in the area. Igba admitted that though the water
supply from the plant does not cover
the entire local government, appealed
to the government to come to their
aid, to prevent the outbreak of
diseases in the area. Efforts to obtain comments from the
Commissioner for Water Resources, Mr
Conrad Wergba, were
unsuccessfulfailed. The General Manager, Benue State
Water Board, Mr Michael Dzungu,
declined comments saying: “I no longer
talk to the press.”(NAN)
Ala and Otubi water works in Benue
State has stopped pumping water to
different parts of the state, leading to
water scarcity, the News Agency of
Nigeria (NAN) reports. Investigations by NAN showed that the
people of Katsina-Ala and Otukpo were
the worst hit. The investigations revealed that the
contractor handling the project
stopped supplying of water on grounds
of contractual breaches. NAN recalls that the state government
signed a two-year contract with CGC
Nigeria Ltd for the maintenance,
operation and training of some staff
of the ministry in 2012. A reliable source in the Ministry of
Water Resources told NAN that the
government had yet to commence
payment on the new contract, which
sparked off the strike. The source who pleaded anonymity,
said:“the contractor had not been paid
a single kobo. “It is not possible for them to operate
without funds as they need funds to
acquire chemicals and other necessary
materials needed for water treatment. “Apart from buying chemicals, they
have to pay their staff and run the
company. They are also training our
engineers.” NAN recalls that the Chairman of
Otukpo Local Government Council, Dr.
Innocent Onuh, had earlier blamed the
outbreak of cholera epidemic in the
council on ‘the lack of potable water. Onuh who spoke in a telephone
interview with the NAN said that 20
infected children in the local
government had been hospitalised. “For the past one month, Otukpo
residents do not have potable water;
the water works is no longer pumping
water as the staff had refused to work
to press for the payment of salaries. “As a result of this, cholera epidemic
has hit the local government; people
are dying and over 20 children are
currently on admission at the General
Hospital, Otukpo. “As for the number of deaths, I cannot
specifically tell you now because most
of the cases are being recorded in the
hinterland. But we are also
collaborating with the state
government and the state ministry of health to stem the disease. “I can assure you that we are on top of
the situation; people are also receiving
treatment at few private hospitals in
the town. “Apart from that, we have also
intensified publicity around the town,
informing the people on the need for
them to boil their water before
drinking. Meanwhile, a cross-section of the
residents have appealed to the state
government to come their aid, to
prevent deaths and possible outbreak
of the disease in other areas. Mrs. Joy Audu, a resident, who spoke
with NAN on telephone, lamented the
continued spread of the epidemic
among the villages in the council. Audu attributed the outbreak of the
epidemic in the local government to
the lack of potable water, adding that
many people would be affected, if the
situation was not controlled through
the provision of potable water. “This epidemic started in Otukpo town
few weeks ago when we could not
access potable water; the ailment has
continued to spread to other parts of
the council and the fear is that it is
becoming prevalent. “The situation in the villages is
alarming; people are dying, and
nobody seems to be talking about it.’’ Also speaking Mr. James Igba, a
resident of Katsina-Ala, decried the
continued lack of potable water supply
in the area. Igba admitted that though the water
supply from the plant does not cover
the entire local government, appealed
to the government to come to their
aid, to prevent the outbreak of
diseases in the area. Efforts to obtain comments from the
Commissioner for Water Resources, Mr
Conrad Wergba, were
unsuccessfulfailed. The General Manager, Benue State
Water Board, Mr Michael Dzungu,
declined comments saying: “I no longer
talk to the press.”(NAN)
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