The Rivers State Government has assured that the new Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor Water Supply project would provide over two million people with safe and quality water supply and standard sanitation even as the state government, African Development Bank (AfDB) and the World Bank voted the sum of $328million (approximately N65, 229,379,188.087), to boost investment in infrastructure to raise the quality and quantity of water supply as well as increase sanitation standard in Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor local government areas, over the next two years.
A breakdown of the fund indicates that the Rivers State Government is contributing a counterpart funding of $48million, African Development Bank $200million, and World Bank $80million.
The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, who disclosed this at the official launch last Friday of the Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor Urban Water Sector Reform and Port Harcourt Water Supply and Sanitation project at Presidential Hotel, Port Harcourt, said that the project is aimed at creating women entrepreneurs and youth empowerment as well as provide safe drinking water for the inhabitants of the state.
Represented by the Rivers State Commissioner for Agriculture, Mrs Onimim Jack, the governor said that the project is key to the development of the state as it aims at improving access to safe water supply and public sanitation in the two local governments hosting the state capital, and also establish sound performance and long term viability of the Port Harcourt Water Corporation to ensure sustainability of service delivery.
He said: “that within the first 100 days of his administration, the potable water scheme was launched at Abonnema in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area, and this project is in line with our promise to the people of the state as clearly spelt put in our blue print that we shall provide safe drinking water for the inhabitants of the state.”
The governor stated that the project would be managed by Messrs Rambol Denmark AS/Hospitalia Consulataire Limited JV with seasoned professionals in all relevant fields across the globe, adding that “there is provision for our own engineers to be trained and takeover the management of the project in the next two years”.
While promising that his administration would always collaborate with the Federal Government in areas that would benefit the people of Rivers State, Wike thanked the Federal Government for choosing Rivers State as one of its pilot states for water and sanitation schemes, noting that the state government must ensure the payment of its counterpart fund.
Representative of the World Bank, Mr Michel Duret, said the bank has been supporting water and sanitation projects in many states in Nigeria, emphasizing that Rivers State was chosen for the project because of its strategic position in the country as a major cross-cultural population hub.
Duret said that the fund for the project was ready, and advised the government to fast-track all the formalities involved properly for the collection of the money.
In his remarks, African Development Bank (AFDB) Country Director, Dr Ousmane Dore, said the bank has the capacity to provide the needed support in collaboration with the World Bank to boost water supply and sanitation in the state, adding that the project has high five goals, which include: “To light up and power Africa, feed Africa, industrialise Africa, integrate Africa and improve the living condition of the people of Africa”.
The country director noted that the water sector was a critical area in infrastructure development, adding that the project would improve water supply, sanitation and overall living standard of residents of Obio/Akpor and Port Harcourt local government areas.
Dore further said that the project would create jobs, and help enhance economic development of the state.
Also speaking, representative of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Bode Fashoye said, Rivers State was the first among the participating states to meet the stringent conditions of the project set by the international funding partners, and commended the state government for the feat.
The state Commissioner for Water Resources and Rural Development, Chief Ibibia Walter who assured people of the state of quality water supply and standard sanitation emphasized that the choice for the two local government areas was due largely to their position as the hub of the hydrocarbon industry, and notable commercial nerve-centre in the whole of West African sub-region.
Walter stated that the Rivers State Government was highly committed to ensuring the provision of clean urban water supply despite the financial crisis by interfacing with relevant stakeholders and partners across the spectrum to ensure availability of utility water from the two local governments, and added that little token of payment would be expected from the beneficiaries of the service.
The commissioner noted that the project, part of a wider institutional reform embarked upon by the Governor Nyesom Wike-led government and coordinated by the National Urban Water Sector Reform office of the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, has a social connect to ensure that the project is beneficial to all potential consumer groups, particularly the low income earners and those who cannot afford water rates.
Earlier, Managing Director, Port Harcourt Water Corporation, Mr Kenneth Anga, lamented that the high population in Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor has overstretched the obsolete infrastructure for water supply put in place since 1970s, adding that the new initiative will enable the state meet the growing demand for water supply service by vulnerable residents of the state capital.
“This water project aimed at re-establishing water supply services in the capital would as well improve access and sustainability of public water supply and sanitation services to about 1.5million people living in the project area, thus alleviating the long sufferings of the people, who currently depend on private boreholes and water vendors, often paying huge prices for water whose quality is not guaranteed,” Anga said.
Also speaking, the Director General, Rivers State Water Services Regulatory Commission (RSWSRC), Mr Christopher Obasiolu said, the commission, which has been actively involved in talks, workshops, seminars, meetings and other arrangements leading to the project launch, was prepared now more than ever before to provide the regulatory framework for quality water supply to residents of Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor in line with international best practices.
Obasiolu said that “the Port Harcourt Water Corporation is one of the Water Services Providers created under the Rivers State Water Sector Development Law, 2012, and is, therefore, subject to the regulatory authority of the commission by virtue of the same law”, adding that for “this reason, the commission has since issued the corporation with the necessary licenses and approvals needed to embark on water and sanitation projects in its areas of operation”.
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