The Kwara State government is to drill 938 boreholes across the state, to boost water supply to all the nooks and crannyof the state.

This is according to the special adviser to Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed on agriculture and rural water support services, Hon. Anu Ibiwoye.

Speaking at a stakeholders meeting between borehole drilling companies and the Kwara State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA) held in Ilorin, the state capital, at the instance of Ibiwoye's office and RUWASSA, the special adviser said the effort was towards making potable water available across the state.

He also announced plans by his office in conjunction with RUWASSA and local government authorities, to set up a special monitoring team to ensure strict compliance with the provision of the law regulating drilling of borehole.

Ibiwoye said when the monitoring team becomes operational, the state government would not hesitate to blacklist any company found wanting in the discharge of its operation.

He pointed out that drilling of the boreholes would afford operators opportunity to participate in the government project because government alone could not do it and that government would work with only companies that comply with the laid down rules and regulations.

While urging the stakeholders and operators to be responsible and conduct their businesses with the fear of God, Ibiwoye said the challenges government was facing in meeting the water supply requirement of the citizens required collective responsibility of all stakeholders.

In his remark, the general manager of RUWASSA, Mallam Ibrahim Sulyman, said part of the responsibilities of the agency were acknowledgment of the emergency of borehole drilling operators and bringing to the notice of all the operators, the government's observation on their activities for necessary adjustment.

He said the state government had observed with deep concern the unprofessional way most of the drilling companies were going about their jobs, a practice he said would definitely have negative effects on ground-water potential and lead to collapse of boreholes in the nearest future.

He assured that the agency would enforce compliance on all operators in line with the law establishing the agency. In his lecture, Dr I. A. Okunlola observed that abandoned boreholes in the last three years in Ilorin metropolis were more than 200.

He said the abandoned boreholes were drilled by companies and individuals without professional competence and called on operators to always adhere to standard, as the negative effects of failure to comply with standard were enormous.

Also speaking, the Director in charge of ministries, departments and agencies, Kwara State Internal Revenue Service, Mr Olaniyi Olusegun, said it was the responsibility of operators to pay their taxes through registration and other levies with regulatory agency.

In another development, the Kwara State House of Assembly has called on all relevant state government agencies to visit eight bridges within Ilorin metropolis and carry out urgent repair work on them.

The House made the call after considering a motion on the need for the rehabilitation of some bridges in Ilorin metropolis sponsored by Hon Matthew Babaoye of Irepodun constituency. The bridges include those on New Yidi road, Unity road, Flower garden, Limca junction, Serikin-kanun, Omosebi and Coca Cola road.

Babaoye expressed concern that the state of these bridges called for urgent attention to avert accident and loss of life and property. The House called on the state Ministry of Works and Transport to ensure that quality job is done on the bridges and culverts in the state to protect lives and property.