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• Urge more reticulation, warn vandals
From Jude Chinedu, Enugu
A non-governmental organisation, The Centre for Humanity, has commended Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State for restoration of water to Enugu metropolis in 180 days as promised during the campaigns.
This was even as students of the Godfrey Okoye University Secondary School, Thinker’s Corner, Enugu, have expressed their joy over the restoration of public water supply to their institution, describing Mbah as the type of leader they look up to emulate in the future.
In a statement, yesterday, by the Director of Communications and Public Enlightenment, The Centre for Humanity, Peter Ugwu, the centre observed that the abundance of water achieved by the Mbah administration in 180 days, could have taken any other serious government at least four years to record.
It regretted that Enugu people had suffered acute water shortages that impugned their humanity.
“According to the World Bank, about 70 million Nigerians do not have access to safe drinking water, while approximately 114 million do not have access to basic sanitation facilities. This has affected people’s health, well-being, and economic productivity.
“This is why The Centre for Humanity is pleased to identify with the success registered by Governor Mbah in the provision of potable water in Enugu city in 180 days, especially the commissioning of the 9th Mile 24/7 Water Scheme, backed by a 4.4MW backup gas-powered electricity generation plant to guarantee non-stop water supply to Enugu metropolis going forward.
“Raising water production capacity from an occasional two million litres to 120 million litres daily is a great mileage, and we trust that the governor will, as promised, now concentrate on fixing the bursting pipes, wilful vandalisation and sabotage, which result in loss of huge quantities of water,” the Centre said.
It also urged Enugu residents to own the facilities and protect them against vandals and those out to sabotage efforts to have the people enjoy public water after over two decades.
“Anyone caught should be made to face the law as an enemy of progress,” it said.
Meanwhile, speaking during one of the governor’s stops to inspect some reconnected institutions and commission some of the 96 water galleries constructed around the city, the Senior Prefect of Godfrey Okoye University Secondary School, Master Radiance Kamah, expressed the joy and appreciation of the students to the governor.
Kamah said: “Not long ago, you came into this state, you already started improving Enugu and I am very sure by next year, we will be ranking the first best state in Nigeria. I remember the 11th convocation held at Nike recently, on our way, we saw constructions ongoing at different points and also beautiful water galleries like this one being constructed. With not much time, you have completed it and now, you are commissioning it today.
“I know your governance style will demonstrate to the students and the youths of Nigeria how a good leader should be and how we should begin to form ourselves so that when it will be our turn, we would have that idea of how to govern a country and a state. We would always love you. Ndi Enugu are lucky to have a governor like this and I know other states will be jealous.”
Describing the administration’s massive investment in water resources through Internally Generated Revenue, and 120 million litres daily volume of water recorded in 180 days, as a miracle, former minister of Power, Chinedu Nebo, said Mbah had redefined governance and rebuilt public confidence in government.
“In the past, we used to hear that the government earmarked a lot of things, but nobody gets to see them. But we are now ‘eye-marking’ a solemn promise that was made and kept,” Nebo said.
On his part, President General of Nsude Autonomous Community, Udi Local Government Area, Nicholas Eneje, thanked Governor Mbah for revamping the 9th Mile water project 41 years after it was initiated.
He said although many had doubted his promise to break a 20-year-old jinx of pipe-borne water in 180 days, they had now seen and believed.
