The Sokoto State Government has threatened to suspend the top management staff of the state water board if water supply was not restored in some parts of the state on Friday.
This was coming few hours after the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), in the last election in the state, Eng. Abdullahi Waziri, accused the state government of not doing enough to improve the supply.
Briefing newsmen on the water situation in the state, Waziri noted that residents of Sokoto and the environs were faced with acute water scarcity due to the government’s neglect of the system.
“Many families could not afford domestic water expenses, including myself.
“I had to buy pure water for my wife to cook our breakfast,” he alleged.
Responding, the Commissioner of Water Resources, Umar Bature, attributed the problem to the ongoing road and waterways construction which damaged many of their pipelines.
“But our men are working round the clock to repair them and restore the supply.
” In fact, I gave the officials of the state water board up to Friday to restore water supply to the affected communities or be sanctioned because I don’t see any reason why our people should continue to suffer,” he said.
Bature further denied that due process was not followed in the disposal of unused pipes of the state water board, saying an advertisement was placed on two national dailies and the sum of N20 million was realised from the disposal.
The Commissioner cautioned people against spreading misleading information and politicising government policies, noting that the state government had achieved a lot in the provision of portable water in the state.
According to him, the sum of N123 million was being spent every month to supply water to residents of the state.
