The Kogi Government has appealed to Lokoja residents to exercise patience over the lingering water scarcity in the town.
The State Commissioner for Water Resources, Mr. Abdulmumuni Danga, made the plea in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lokoja.
Danga said that the shortage of water supply was due to the huge damage to their mechanical and electrical equipment by the 2022 floods at the Ganaja Water Works.
According to him, the whole equipment was submerged and damaged by the 2022 floods that ravaged the state.
He said that Gov. Yahaya Bello has since given approval for the replacement of affected equipment, adding that arrangements are in top gear to bring the replacements into the country.
The Commissioner said that the delay experienced was due to the festive season.
”Most of these equipment are not what you can get in the country so we have to have them shipped to Nigeria.
”As of last night, all the equipment had been loaded on the ship and we should be expecting them very soon.. In the next two weeks, everything will be sorted out.
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”We are doing our best as government to reduce water scarcity in Lokoja to the barest minimum,” the commissioner said.
Danga noted that as a palliative measure, the government had done some repairs at the Old Lokoja Water Works for water supply to some parts of the state.
According to him, the Old waterworks are currently supplying water to nearby communities of Kabawa, Karaworo, Ipata, Cantonment, Maigari palace, and Traditional areas of the confluence city.
He said that he had personal meetings with some leaders, groups, and residents, to brief them on the problem and the effort to address it.
”I believe in the next two weeks the equipment will arrive and it will not take between four to five days to install them, and water will be restored to the metropolis,” Danga assured.
Meanwhile, two residents of Phase 1 and Phase 2, Lokoja, Mrs. Joy Ojeme, and Mrs. Ruth Alabi, told NAN that the water scarcity had brought untold hardship.
They said a jerrican of 25 liters of water that used to be sold at N10 now goes for N50.
They appealed to the government to fulfill its promise in restoring water supply to the entire confluence city.
