TheCable

Peter Mbah, governor of Enugu, has inaugurated a 70,000 cubic metres water plant in the state.

At the launch of the project titled ‘9th Mile 24/7 Water Scheme’ on Saturday, Mbah said his administration has raised potable water production capacity from two million litres per day to 120 million litres per day.

During the election campaigns, Mbah had promised to deliver safe and clean water to every home in the state within 180 days in office.

The governor said the inauguration of the project is in fulfilment of his promise, assuring Enugu residents that “pipe-borne water is here to stay”.

He said the 4.4MW gas-powered plant built by his administration to supply power to the facility would ensure uninterrupted water supply to Enugu residents.

The water project in Enugu

“It was clear to us that the status of water supply at the time was deplorable. At that time, there had been no reliable water supply in most parts of Enugu state for almost 20 years,” Mbah said.

“One need not be a rocket scientist to discern that few investors will be attracted to the state under such dire circumstances, nor can existing businesses expand to generate additional jobs and economic growth. If anything, these conditions are suffocating businesses and households and leading to unnecessary suffering across the State.

“Faced with this fundamental issue, and considering the suffering of Ndi Enugu, it was only natural that we identified provision of water as one of our first targets in the drive to execute our mandate and social contract with citizens of Enugu.

“We also chose to give ourselves a target of resolving this challenge in 180 days not for the purpose of chest-thumping but rather because first, the issue is urgent. We did not want Ndi Enugu to suffer unduly for even one minute longer than avoidable, and, second, we saw this as an opportunity to galvanize Ndi Enugu for the tough tasks ahead and whip our administration into gear as quickly as possible.”

Mbah inaugurating the water project

The governor added that the project is the first phase and that in a few weeks, the state would commission new pumps in the Oji Water Scheme for extra production of 50,000 cubic metres of water every day.

Mbah said some towns outside Enugu city, especially those outside the pipeline network, still have water problems which he promised to resolve.

He told the residents that “reliable water supply is not cheap”, urging them to be ready to pay for necessary connections and installations.