Residents of Lokoja the state capital and it’s environs are into acute shortage of pipe borne water in the last two weeks,as the popular “Governor Ibro water” had gone dry again .
This is coming at the period of dry season were perennial water shortage is prevalent in the absence of rain .
Commercial water vendors particualrly the popular “Mai Ruwa” takes days to book and get supplies at thrice the previous amount, as water tankers patronise companies and residents of well to do in the society.
The old water board located in Marine area has also ran short of materials used in the treatement of water for local consumption of close by residents and localities .
In the last four years,the state water board had turn epileptic in the supply of water to residents of lokoja,unlike the previous adminatration whose policies were classified as essential and social services to the people .
Many times the state government has revoked experts managing the multi billion naira water scheme under the guise of not meeting the expectations of the state government or for sheer exigency of governance.
The recent development was hinged on the inability of the state government to meet up it’s obligations of carrying out a comprehensive turn around maintanance and engagement of non qualified firm to run the affairs of the moribund Greater Lokoja water works.
Some of the residents have resorted to drinking of untreated water from the River Niger,exposing them to the risk of water borne diseases and all other ailements .
As at press time,no single staff or officers of the new companies was ready to speak with the media for fear of bening misrepresented.
All efforts to see the top officers on the ministry of Water Resources and governmment officials were also economical with their words to avoid victimisation.
It was reliably gathered that lack of funding and refusal of the state government to meeting the financial obigations, both to the firm and some adhoc companies will not give way for the scarcity of water in Lokoja the state capital to end soon .
The lingering water scarcity in the state capital is capable of leading to the break out of all sorts of ailements between the state captital and it’s environs .
Kogi state government has indulged in playing politics with the critical sectors of the state leading to alot of policy somersault,particularly the ones that affects the welfare of the people of the state .