Osun Govt Makes Clarification On Borehole Project Cost, Begins Rehabilitation Of Water Works

Osun state government on Friday disclosed that Governor Ademola Adeleke has directed a phased rehabilitation of selected water works and water pipeline networks in the state with a view to ensuring sustainable water supply to the people.

 ‘This new directive is coming as the sinking of 332 boreholes under direct labour and shoestring budget reaches 85 percent, remaining as at today only about four local governments rounding up with their implementation. 

Governor Adeleke acting on a committee report relating to the worsening state of infrastructure in the water sector approved the immediate upgrade of pipeline networks of both Ede and Osogbo water works alongside the repairs and recharging of water filter media at Iwo and Eko-ende water works.

The water scheme at Esaoke is also under rehabilitation for the supply of potable water while the governor is following up with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources for the completion of Ile Ife water project.

The State Government is also interfacing with the Federal Ministry to resolve the delay created through the mismanagement of Ilesa Water project with particular reference to the contractor and the project managers’ Governor Adeleke’s Spokesman, Mr Olawale Rasheed submitted in a statement made available to Team@orientactualmags.com on Friday.

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The statement also quoted Governor Adeleke’s top adviser , Dr Bashiru Tokunbo Sallami  to have confirmed the ongoing rehabilitation efforts in the water sector while  asserting  that the Adeleke  administration has a holistic programme to address water challenges in the state. 

The current  administration in the state according to him  adopted a mix of solutions which includes sinking of boreholes in wards across the state  while acknowledging that the 332 boreholes ‘are not sufficient to cater for the citizen’s water needs’.

“It was the realization of this reality from the beginning that Mr. Governor approved the phased rehabilitation of the state’s water pipeline networks. The goal is to systematically address the many technical hitches facing water supply in the state’  Dr Salami noted.

‘Details from the State Water Corporation showed that the agency mostly operates on old Asbestos Cement (AC) pipes laid several decades ago and in a terrible  and deplorable state . The upgrade that is ongoing at Ede and Osogbo water works will replace the old run down pipes with the HDPE pipes, now the modern durable material in the sector.

Apart from the upgrade of the pipeline networks, the Water filtration systems in Iwo has also been approved for rehabilitation and repairs to allow water to reach present areas of coverage. The same filtration project is ongoing at Eko-ende which services Ikirun, Iragbiji among other adjacent towns.

Once the water filtration systems for both Eko-ende and Iwo water works are completed, this administration plans to issue new approvals for the pipeline networks upgrade for both water schemes’ the statement added.

Governor Ademola Adeleke administration has also denied insinuations in some quarters that N14 million was the project cost for each of the 332 borehole projects, describing this as false while noting that each borehole costs far less than what had been insinuated.

“Governor Adeleke has recently disclosed that full accounts of projects and programmes will be rendered to the public at the ‘Ipade Imole’, an interactive accountability platform. 

There is no smoking gun. In fact, when the full details are out, the public will applaud Governor Adeleke for such an unprecedented prudence.

The borehole project is already benefiting the people and reports from all over the state showed that Osun people, going by  a series of videos and pictures, are already enjoying water supplies from these boreholes.

At Ipade Imole, civil society, media and all stakeholders will have sufficient time to read, appraise and question projects and policies. This administration is pro-people with full commitment to transparency and accountability. That was why Governor Adeleke introduced Ipade Imole’  the statement concluded-Team@orientactualmags.com
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