23 years after, Warri-Effurun Water Scheme now for concessioning
Pained that 23 years after its commencement, the Warri-Efurun Water Supply Project is yet to be commissioned, Delta State government says it has approved the concession of the project. Delta State government inherited the project from the defunct Bendel State government.
The project, which commenced in 1993 with a $70 million ADP loan, occupies a land area of about 15 hectares and has witnessed on and off circles.
Addressing journalists at the ongoing 2016 press ministerial briefing in Asaba, the commissioner for water resources, Nkemor Fidelis, narrated how the state government had spent N19 billion to date and that from projections, the state would spend additional N13 billion to complete the water scheme.
He however regretted that because of current general paucity of funds, the state government had opted to complete the project through a private public partnership. He said the state executive council under Governor Ifeanyi Okowa had approved the concession of the water scheme through a Public Private Partnership.
The commissioner briefed that on completion of full construction within the projected 18 months period, Public, Economic and Portable Water will be reticulated and connected to 15,500 households for 24/7/365 days at a very affordable rate and cheaper than the price of the current sachet water on public display within the Warri-Effurun catchment area.
“The water sources for the Warri-Efurun environ will be portable, safe and drinkable direct from home taps because it will be perfectly treated before distribution”, he said, adding that this singular decision by the Okowa administration would create wealth and so many employment opportunities for Deltans.
According to him, prepaid rechargeable water meter cards will do water connection/distribution to homes just like citizens recharge their mobile phones.
Fidelis disclosed that the state government has projected that the private investor would invest a total sum of about N13 billion to bring the project to completion. The benefits of the arrangement which he said would be for 12 years include: production of 68,000 cubic meters of water per day and would provide over 500 jobs and royalties to government.
“One very vital issue in the SMART agenda is the provision of improved health environment and facilities. Clearly, the provision of increased potable drinking water for our people will directly cause reduction in the incidence of water-related diseases and its attendant hospital bills in the state”, he said.
Answering question, the commissioner admitted that the project used to be politicised but explained that today, the state was carrying out advocacy messages to make the public believe it’s no longer politicized.
He explained that the project is not also a white elephant project, adding that in the next 24 months time, it would be commissioned, as Okowa’s administration would ensure it is commissioned in his tenure.
Further on the achievement of the ministry, Fidelis disclosed that state’s executive water and sanitation bill was being transmitted to the House of Assembly, adding that the bill when passed into law would be the first water policy since the establishment of Delta State. “The main aim of the Delta State Water/Sanitation policy and the proposed water law is to domesticate relevant provisions of the national water and sanitation policy and to establish a comprehensive platform for the coordination of the implementation of water projects.”
He explained: The policy will promote a rancor free and conducive peaceful environment for institutional, economic and legal reforms, particularly in the harmonisation of the future efforts of various interventions in the provisions of water in the state by NDDC, DESOPADEC, oil companies, individuals etc.”
Explaining further, he said: “For instance, while there is no presence of any water scheme in some villages/communities, some communities have four schemes by government, NDDC, DESOPADEC and oil companies. Painfully, the four of them may not be functional at all.
“Now, when the water law is enacted, all sources of interventions and efforts in the water sector will be peacefully and harmoniously administered in an integrated manner for the benefit of the people”, he explained, adding that legal framework would as well stimulate increased private investments and funding, grants from donor nations and agencies into the water sector of the state.