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From Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi
For many decades, the people of Yauri town in Kebbi State and its environs have not been able to draw potable water from the town’s water project. Though Yauri, headquarters of Yauri Emirate is surrounded by the River Niger, the Yelwa people have had to rely on commercial water tankers, water vendors, boreholes sunk in the community by philanthropists, and rain water to get water for their domestic needs and other uses.
Residents of Yauri town informed our correspondent that a wheelbarrow of water which usually contains 10 jerry cans goes for N700, as each of the jerry cans costs N70. They also revealed that water tankers cost N70,000, N10,000 and N15,000, depending on their sizes and they usually deliver on the request of households or streets. Those hawking water in wheelbarrows are believed to get their water from nearby boreholes, while owners of water tankers reportedly draw water from the bank of River Niger and public boreholes in the town.
But the recent completion of the rehabilitation of the water works by HYPPADEC and its commissioning by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, has brought joy to the people of Yauri.
Hajiya Fatimah Jibril, a mother of five, was ecstatic over the commissioning of the project. She noted that she and her children have to trek to nearby public boreholes to fetch water every morning if her husband did not have enough money to purchase water from the tankers or water vendors.
Madam Shamsiya Shehu, another resident, told newsmen that the people of Yauri, especially children and women, always suffer during the dry season as a result of scarcity of water. She noted that the people usually contacted waterborne diseases such as cholera; vomiting, skin rashes and stomach ache due to the use of contaminated water. She noted that the rehabilitation of the water works would protect them against such sickness and stress of searching for water daily.
Mallam Sani Yar’bass, whose monthly salary is N20,000, could not hold back his emotional tears while speaking with newsmen in Yauri during the official commissioning of the water project. He noted that for a long time, he has suffered with his family while they struggled to get water, even as they also struggle to cope with other expenditures like house rent, school fees, transportation fare and feeding of the family.
Another resident, Alhaji Shehu Muhammed, commended the commission for the completion of the water project within a short time, noting that Yauri, despite being located around the bank of the River Niger, has been suffering a lot due to scarcity of water.
“Our people had to rely on water vendors, public boreholes and rain water to survive. A lot of people also rely on sachet water and digging boreholes in their houses for supply of water for their domestic chores. Sincerely, the completion of this water project would create a lot of relief, reduce the burden on many families, schools, hotels and restaurants that rely on water tankers and vendors before they could get adequate water on daily basis,” he said.
However, the journey to the total rehabilitation of the Yauri water project, it was learnt, started when the Managing Director of HYPPADEC, Alhaji Abubakar SadiqYelwa paid a courtesy visit to the Emir of Yauri, Dr. Muhammad Zayyanu Abdullahi. At the meeting, the Emir, it was gathered, appealed to the commission to rehabilitate the water project in the town to reduce the hardship his people face daily to get potable water.
Subsequently, HYPPADEC and the Kebbi State Government, through the Ministry of Water Resources, teamed up to rehabilitate the decayed water works. It was expanded to a two million-litre capacity, which reportedly gulped over N2 billion.
While speaking at the commissioning, Secretary to the Government of the Federation,(SGF) Senator George Akume described the execution of the total rehabilitation of Yauri water works project as a commitment of the Federal Government to providing potable water to all Nigerians.
Akume, represented by his Chief of Staff, Mr. Simeon Ugwu, said: “This giant project initiated by HYPPADEC several months ago is an initiative of the management of the commission, under the leadership of the pioneer Managing Director, Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq -Yelwa. The root of the project could be traced back to 1960 with the construction of the Kanji Dam and the relocation of many people from their original settlements. Yelwa Yauri is one of these towns that made significant sacrifices for the greater good and development of the country.
“The Federal Government recognizes this and had been working hard to ensure that water scarcity becomes an issue of the past, especially in the power producing communities across the country.”
Earlier, Kebbi State Governor, Dr Nasir Idris, who was represented by the Speaker, Kebbi State House of Assembly, Alhaji Muhammed Usman Zuru, commended HYPPADEC for their intervention in collaboration with the state Ministry of water Resources.
In his remark, Managing Director of HYPPADEC, Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq -Yelwa, noted that “over N2 billion was spent on this project. Without proper maintenance of this facility, our efforts would be in futility. Therefore, the Kebbi state Government and Yauri Emirate Council should meet the contractor on how best to maintain the project.”
Also speaking, Emir of Yauri, Dr Muhammad Zayyanu Abdullahi noted that the rehabilitation of the water works had brought great joy and a deep sense of fulfilment to the people of Yauri Emirate.
