Governor urges FG to declare state of emergency on water sector

chika ebuzor

November 23, 2016 5:08 AM

The governor said the declaration was necessary, given the challenges of water supply facing many Nigerians.

Governor Tanko Al-Makura

Gov. Umaru Al-Makura of Nasarawa State on Tuesday appealed to the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on water supply, considering its importance to the development of the society.

Al-Makura made the appeal when he received the Minister of Water Resources, Mr Suleiman Adamu, at the Government House, Lafia.

He added that “water is critical to human sustenance, that is why my administration keyed into water supply projects to improve standard of living of the people of the state.

“It is in view of this that I am also calling on the Federal Government to declare state of emergency on water supply, considering its importance to societal development.”

He said that the challenges of water supply, especially at the Mararaba, Karu and Masaka axis bordering the Federal Capital Territory would be addressed through such declaration.

He called for collaboration between the Federal Government, FCT Administration and the Nasarawa State Government toward the development of the Uke River into a massive water works like the Usuma dam water scheme in Bwari, FCT.

He said such cooperation would go a long way in boosting efforts aimed at tackling the challenges of water supply along the Keffi-Abuja axis.

Earlier, the minister had told Al-Makura that he was in the state to inaugurate the Graduate Youths Agricultural Empowerment Scheme aimed at turning young graduates into agriculture entrepreneurs.

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He said the Federal Government was working toward providing potable water to the people through various ongoing projects across the country.

chika ebuzor