The Oyo state house of Assembly has appealed to the Oyo state government to address the problem of lack of portable water supply in the state by ensuring the completion of all abandoned water work projects across the state.
The house made the appeal during Wednesday’s plenary while deliberating on a motion on the need to complete ongoing water work project in the state brought by Hon Kazeem Isiaka (Oyo East/ Oyo West).
The plenary presided over by the Speaker, Hon Adebo Ogundoyin said the project which is a jointly funded by the world bank, the federal government of Nigeria and the Oyo state government had been abandoned since 2014 and the house resolved to invite the State commissioner for water resources, Permanent Secretary and other stakeholders to brief the lawmakers on the state of projects across the state.
According to the motion, the project awarded seven years ago had to be abandoned because of the failure of the then state government to pay its own counterpart fund after the World Bank and the Federal government had fulfilled their own part of the tripartite agreement.
The Speaker said the appeal became imperative because thousands of Oyo state residents lack access to portable water and this may increase their vulnerability to water borne diseases..
“The need for clean water cannot be overestimated and it is the duty of government to see to the water needs of the people” Hon Ogundoyin added
In their remarks, the seconder of the motion, Hon Julius Okedoyin (Saki East), Hon Akeem Mustapha (Kajola), Hon Peter Okedoyin (Ibarapa Central/ North) and Hon Jacob Bamigboye decried the poor state of facilities already provided at the waterworks across the state and appealed to Governor Seyi Makinde to again extend his midas touch to the project for speedy completion.
Others including the Deputy Speaker, Hon Muhammed Fadeyi, the Minority Leader, Hon Asimiyu Alarape , Hon Adebayo Babajide ( Ibadan North 2) in their contributions called for proper monitoring of the annual budget of the Water Corporation of Oyo state adding that leaving such laudable water project uncompleted across Oyo state is disgracing and disturbing.
They said people now sink boreholes and dig deep wells to get water thereby increasing the possibility of natural disasters including earthquakes and others.
