…assures residents on rehabilitation of interlink roads
In order to ensure adequate water supply across the state, the Ekiti state government said it has put proper measure in place to ensure the installation and rehabilitation of all the affected water pipes supply in the state.
The State Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Mr Taiwo Olatunbosun stated this yesterday during a roundtable discussion with newsmen at the Correspondent Chapel in Ado-Ekiti, the State Capital .
Olatunbosun expressed the belief that the connection of the concerned areas, where dams are situated to the national grid, will make them operational without interruption.
He however lamented the low reticulation of water from dams, which he ascribed to dilapidated state of the old pipes, but stated that water supply will get better as soon as the current installation and rehabilitation of all the pipes are completed.
“One of the challenges we had with the World Bank Water Project was the issue of electricity in those areas where we have the dams.
“If you consider the level of inflation with things in this country and look at the way you have to pump water nonstop for hours, it will take some times but the connection of electricity in some areas where we have some of these dams into national grid will assist a lot.
“We have started pumping water in some places but another challenge is the issue of reticulation most of those asbestos pipes have not been used for years, which make them weak and repair is currently underway.”
On award of road contracts, Olatunbosun said all road projects awarded to contractors follow due process, adding that all implemented road projects in the state were advertised before their official execution.
“I want to believe that law has a process, I stand before you here without any fear of contradiction and with all honesty, government has been following the provision of the law of procurement detailing the processes.
“When a particular project is to be implemented, it will be advertised. There is no road that we have contracted out in this state under the leadership of Governor Biodun Oyebanji that has not been properly advertised.
“There are administrative procedures and nobody can circumvent any of them.”
Speaking on interlink roads within the state capital, he said, “We are working seriously on it but you know, government is a serious business too, and it requires planning.
“Considering the resources we have, we can’t take everything at a time. So it must be one after the other.
“In as much people wants us to complete all interlink roads in Ado, there are other things in the state that other residents also want us to consider.
Some of things is not about road alone, we talk about health, education, agriculture and we have to allocate money to all of these things but, I assure you this year will be better and this year will witness a lot of more developments and project implementation.”