Niger state government has threatened to stop water supply to the Army Barracks in Minna over unpaid bills amounting to over N700 million.
It is total debts for water supply owed by the army, police, DSS and other agencies.
The state commissioner for Water Resources, Yusuf Suleiman said this during a media round-table in Minna when he got hold of the debts owed by security agencies.
The Assistant General Manager (AGM), Commercial Services of the Niger state Water and Sewage Corporation, Aliyu Danladi Umar told the Commissioner that the Nigeria Army, Police, Department of State Security (DSS) and other agencies are owing the Corporation over N700,000,000.
He explained that the Police has been making effort to meet up with its payment even though they are yet to completely settle their debts.
Umar explained that the Corporation are being told by the Army the approval for payment have to come from the Army headquarters as it will not be possible for the corporation to get the money from those living in the barracks.
The Commissioner who was clearly displeased with this development said, “If it will be proper for the police to pay and those living in police quarters to pay for their water bills, it should not be difficult for those in the Army barracks to pay.
“Tell them that if it is difficult for them to pay, it will not be difficult for us to disconnect them from water. It is not our business if the people in the army barracks are not paying utility or not, what we need is a payment for our service.
“The next time you meet with them, tell them that if they are finding it difficult to pay, it will not be difficult for us to disconnect them.”
The Assistant General Manager of the Niger State Water and Sewage Corporation lamented that the non-remittance of the funds for water used is affecting the services of the Corporation.
He said that the state water Corporation would soon introduce domestic metering to consumers saying that would go a long way in addressing the no-revenue water being experienced by the Corporation.
