Gov Saraki promises better living for Kwarans - 2008-11-05

The Kwara State Government says it is deeply concerned with ensuring a high quality standard of living for the people of the state.

The State Governor, Doctor Bukola Saraki, stated this yesterday in his message to the flag-off of an health campaign tagged “Malaria-Free Moro Local Government” held at Bode-Saadu.

This, the Governor Saraki said, was an indication of the commitment of his administration to the provision of the basic needs of life, especially education, health and sanitation with guaranteed food security.

The Governor, who was represented at the occasion by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Doctor AbdulRasaq Amuda, has therefore urged all the Local Government Councils in the State to ensure that all pregnant women and under five children benefit from “Every Child must live” programme of the State Government.

Earlier in his address of welcome, the chairman, Moro Local Government Council, Alhaji AbdulRaheem Adisa, had noted that Malaria was responsible for the death of over ten Million children in Africa.

If urgent action was not taken, Alhaji Adisa warned that the disease could cause a devastating effect to human lives.

The chairman expressed appreciation to Governor Bukola Saraki for spreading the dividends of democracy to the area through the State health reform agenda with a particular note to the upgrading and equipping of the Ejidongari Basic Health Centre, reactivation of the Oloko-Nla accident and Emergency medical center as well as the Jebba Specialist Hospital.

A substantial number of treated Mosquito nets and mendicants were distributed free to the people of the Local Government as part of effort to make the area free from Malaria.

The occasion was witnessed by Traditional Rulers and eminent politicians while the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari was represented by the Magaji Nda of Ilorin, Alhaji Saliu Woru.


I hope our gov do not know that Aran-orin road is in Bad condition and is not motor able can Bukola remember his promising last campaign in Aran-orin were he promises to rehabilitate Aran-Orin road as he assume office the road is still on done please repair Aran-orin road



WATER FOR LIFE IS IT TRUE OR JUST ORDINARY PROMISES

Water for Life
KWARA: Facing the Water Challenge.

Kwara state, Nigeria , has sufficient water resources that could meet the needs of its people. However, actual water supply is very poor in most parts of the state.

While access to potable water in urban areas is estimated at 58 percent, supply is only at 12percent in rural areas. Water infrastructure - waterworks, storage reservoirs, pump stations and distribution networks – has been poorly maintained and therefore, perform below design capacity.

A significant ‘water gap' therefore exists, which calls for concerted efforts if the State must meet the Millennium Development Goal of water and sanitation for all by 2015.

The combined design capacity of the Asa and Agba waterworks, two major source of water supply to the urban capital, Ilorin , is 69ml/day (million litres per day). However, the current estimated production stand just at 38ml/day, representing 55percent of installed capacity.

The situation in other water projects across the State is not any better, with most of them delivering between 50-60percent of installed capacity, which is being overtaken by growing demand

Closely related to the problems of water supply in urban centres is the weakness of the revenue collection system. This has led to the continuous reliance on government subventions and allocations to provide for the maintenance of water supply systems in the state. In the face of competing priorities and dwindling government resources, government often finds it difficult to keep up with the pace of maintenance required. The result is steady deterioration of the water infrastructure.

The rural water supply programme started by the government in 2003 is implemented in about 60 percent of rural areas, representing about 480 communities. While this programme is the most extensive by any government in recent times, it covers only about 50 percent of target rural dwellers. A water inventory taken by the government at the start of the programme shows that a total of 67 waterworks for producing treated water from surface drains, about 75 percent had totally broken down while the remainder were functioning below installed capacity.

In respect of the underground water supply system, the survey reported 980 hand-pump equipped boreholes and 300 motorised boreholes provided. However, not more than 10 percent of these are functional. The neglect of the other areas of water resource development such as hydrology, irrigation, erosion and flood control, dam weirs, dykes and other forms of development has further compounded the situation.

There are also related institutional challenges in the State's water administration. Out of a total of five departments in the water ministry, only one (water supply and quality control) is active. Other units such as erosion and flood control, irrigation and drainage, hydrology, dams and other water impoundment programmes are not currently functional.

Other core challenges that the government has identified since 2003, include:

• A rapidly growing population and the accompanying increases in domestic, commercial and industrial requirements for treated water.

• Poor planning, largely resulting from faulty or incorrect statistical data.

• Lack of proper coordination and monitoring among the different departments in the water administration system.

• Insufficient funding for the water sector.

• Lack of effective security to protect water installations in rural areas.

• Inadequate human capacity in the water ministry.

• Emergence of unplanned, new settlements

• Perception of potable water as a public good to be provided free by the state rather than an economic good that should be paid for.

In the face of these challenges however, government has recorded some important progress since 2003. These include:

• The establishment of a standing Water Policy Implementation Committee. This committee is charged with the task to resuscitate the moribund water supply schemes in the State. Through a two-phased programme, the committee has achieved the following:

• Rehabilitation of 41 water works.

• The drilling of 57 new hand-pumped boreholes across the state.

• The repair and rehabilitation of 570 hand-pump fitted boreholes.

• Installation of one solar-powered mini-motorised borehole.

• The Ministry of Rural Development has embarked on a 10-borehole per ward-community from 2006 under its Rural Water Supply Scheme (RUWA). This would deliver a total of 1, 930 boreholes in all the 193 ward communities in the State by 2007.

• The State has recently concluded a major satellite mapping exercise. The result of this exercise will provide important information on water resources and facilities location across the state, thereby significantly assisting the implementation of future water programmes.

4. Under the Federal Government's ministerial programme, the following projects have been undertaken:

• Purchase of water treatment chemicals.

• Budget support to the tune of N 1.2 billion (USD 8.6 million) for the rehabilitation of the Asa Dam water works and installation of an automatic tap changer to cater for power fluctuations at Asa Dam Water Works.

• Purchase of 15 motorcycles for plumbing and water Leakage Detection Teams (LDT).

• Procurement of nine 10,000-litre capacity motorised water tankers for the distribution of potable water as interim measure to make up for the current inadequate supply from the dams. Forty basement tanks were also constructed for storing water from these tankers.

• Refurbishment of two drilling rigs for the Rural Water Supply Agency (RWSA).

• Procurement of three brand new bore-hole drilling rigs.

Policy Thrust

• To develop a comprehensive water management plan for the state, which includes a framework for upgrading and managing different components of the water sector in conjunction with all stakeholders.

• To enhance partnership with the Federal Government and International Development Agencies to improve the State water delivery capacity

• To facilitate increased ownership and a more proactive response to water supply by Local Councils.

• To strengthen the capacity of the Local Councils to provide water to the rural communities.

Policy Targets

• Increase water access to 80 percent of the state's population by 2007.

• Ensuring that no one would go beyond 500 metres to access water in any part of the State.

Strategies

• Implementing a comprehensive borehole, water equipment and waterworks rehabilitation and expansion programme

• Subdividing Kwara state into rural water supply areas, and establishing a project steering committee for each area, which will develop a business plan for urban and rural supply

• Restructuring and upgrading the Water Resource Management Agency to the level of a full parastatal under the Ministry of Water Resources

• Streamlining the activities of the State's Water Corporation to focus on urban water supply, while the Local Council and other partners focus on rural supply

• Enhancing the operational capacity of the water ministry

• Strengthening the role of Local Councils in water and sanitation

• Mobilising communities for self-help projects and training community-based maintenance workers for water facilities that can be maintained through self-help initiatives

• Establish and develop a water Management Information System (MIS)

• Enhance the water ministry's capacity for revenue generation and accountability

• Establishing fast track approval process for private and official water schemes

• Integrating a sanitation improvement programme into the water system

• Developing capacity for the construction and rehabilitation of dams

“ Kwara State strongly shares the global vision on ‘water for life'. We believe that water is a major factor in achieving other key development objectives especially in the areas of health, education and poverty reduction. Therefore, our ability to deliver water to the people, at various levels will largely determine how we hope to perform with other MDG indicators. Kwara State is therefore willing to partner with all stakeholders at national and international levels in meeting this all-important challenge.”
Aran-Orin bolehole is not working go and check it

source kwara state gov web site and posted by Lawrence





• H.E. Dr. Bukola Saraki, Governor of Kwara State , Nigeria .