Okuta community groans over water scarcity
Residents of Okuta in the Baruten local government area of Kwara State on Tuesday cried out for help over the perennial water shortage in the border community.
A cross-section of the people who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria urged governments at all levels to urgently alleviate their plight of lack of adequate potable water supply in the community.
Malam Aliyu Umar, the Gunubero of Okuta, told the NAN that the waterworks in the community had not been operated in the last three years.
This, according to the traditional ruler, is due to its network of pipes, which has gone bad.
“Our major problem here is the distribution network, which has gone bad. The pipes have become broken in the last three years and nothing has been done about restoring the network.
“There is need for new pipes to be laid and for the distribution network to be extended to other areas that were not covered in the past, because of the rapid growth of the town”, he said.
The Gunubero said that the present sources of water in the community were through wells, hand pumps and one motorised borehole, which he said, were not adequate for the town’s population.
“We are seriously facing the problem of perennial water shortage. It has started now and if you come here by January, you will pity our situation,” he told NAN.
Umar explained that shortage of water was peculiar to Okuta than its other neighbouring communities in the local government.
He appealed for urgent assistance from government and bemoaned how a dam project by the Federal Government through the Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority, which was sited in the community was later diverted to another community, a few years ago.
Also speaking on the issue, Mrs Hassanat Abubakar, a housewife, explained how women in the border area suffered to get water for domestic use, once the dry season sets in.
She pleaded with the government to assist in the provision of adequate water supply to the area, to ease the difficulties faced by women and children in sourcing for water.
An official of the Kwara Water Works Scheme in the town, who spoke to NAN on condition of anonymity, said that poor power supply compelled the unit to stop work about three years ago.
He added that the situation had now been compounded by the rusty distribution pipe network, as well as the need to expand the network, following the growing population of the town.
The source, however, declined to provide estimates required to restore full operations at the facility.
Okuta, with an estimated population of over 100, 000 persons, is the largest town in the Baruten local government area of Kwara State.
Cloud Tag: What's trending
Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.
Kwara Poly Jimoh Olusola Imam Bilikisu Oniyangi Markaz Arabic And Islamic Training Institute, Agege Kwara State Fish Farmers Association Ishola Balogun Fulani UNILORIN Alumni MalHub Adaramaja Young Progressives Party Joseph Offorjama Saka Isau Kulende Kanu Agabi Abdulkadir Jimoh Kazeem Adekanye Olaitan Adefila Aliyu Muhammad Saifudeen Plat Technologies Al-Hikmah University Aishatu Ahmed Gobir International Public Sector Accounting Standards Bashirat Bola Bello SAPZ Project Ibrahim Gambari Jimoh Saadudeen Muhammed RTEAN Owu Fall Micheal Imoudu Segun Adeniyi Raliat AbdulRazaq Yusuf Ali Kwara Coalition Of Business And Professional Associations Olofa Of Offa National Broadcasting Commission Mohammed Haruna Umar Ayinla Saro Isaac Gbenle Demola Banu IDPU Jumoke Monsura Gafar Wahab Issa AbdulQowiy Olododo COVID Ilesha-Baruba-Gwanara Bello John Olanrewaju Baruten Balogun Fulani Otunba Taiwo Joseph Isiaka AbdulRazaq Babatunde Idiagbon Kwara NIPR Bankole Omisore TVC Female National Debate Nagode Magaji Nda Mutawalle Lateef Fagbemi Ali Ahmad Yusuf Amuda Abubakar John Olajide Adedipe Mamman Saba Jibril March 18 Emmanuel Olatunji Adesoye Gabriel Fashanu Olatunji Moronfoye Abdullahi Samari Yoonus Lawal Musa Abdullahi Olokoba Sulyman Yunus Lawal Yinka Aluko Shoprite Olaiya Lawal Asa LGEA School Ajia-Bako AGF Abdulrazaq