Seventeen years after, Ajimobi commissions Asejire water plants
Seventeen years after the last installation and construction of Water Treatment Plants and years of epileptic water supply in Oyo State, Governor Abiola Ajimobi, on Tuesday, commissioned the Asejire Water Scheme.
The sum of N262 million was expended on the project.
The scheme, which has a total installed production capacity of 186,000 cubic meter of water per day, is the largest water production scheme in the state, supplying potable water to 85 per cent of the entire populace in Ibadan metropolis, as well as the communities of Ikire, Ikoyi and Apomu in the neighbouring Osun State.
Governor Ajimobi, while commissioning the scheme, expressed gladness that with the commissioning, the water challenges being suffered in the state would become a thing of the past.
He said that when his administration came into office, water situation in the state was deplorable and the Water Treatment Plants had reduced in production performance to about eight per cent, due to “un-imaginable neglect by past administrations and the managerial deficiencies of erstwhile operators.”
“Indeed, the last time the plants witnessed installation and construction was seventeen years ago, as they were constructed and installed in 1972, 1991 and 1996 respectively. Apart from the old age of the equipment, other factors that led to the decline of water production at the Water Scheme included lack of spare parts for maintenance and persistent interruption in power supply,” he said.
The governor said that an analysis of state-wide performance of the Water Corporation for the previous 10 years undertaken by his government upon coming into office showed that the performance was less than 1 per cent.
The analysis, he said, had led to award of contracts for the construction of Ayete Water Supply Scheme to supply water to Tapa, Idere and Ayete Communities, dedicated Power line to Saki Water Supply Scheme, rehabilitation of Dedicated Power Line to Ogbomoso Water Supply Schemes, extension of pipelines to New Areas throughout the State, upgrading of Water Treatment facilities at Koso and Atori Waterworks in Iseyin, Comprehensive replacement and repair of all electro-mechanical components at all Water Supply Schemes and Booster Stations in the state, upgrading and Rehabilitation of Oyo Water Supply Scheme, rehabilitation and Upgrading of Igboho Water Supply Scheme, expansion Works on Igbetti and Ogbomoso Water Supply Scheme, revalidation of Construction of Ilero Water Supply Scheme, laying of New Rising Mains from Eruwa to Igboora (Phase I & II).
Governor Ajimobi promised the construction of Mini-Water Supply Schemes to other urban cities of the State to Okeho, Ago-Are, Oje-Owode/Tede, Sepeteri, Ogbooro, Otu, Iwa, Iganna/Iwere-Ile/Ayetu Igangan, Fiditi, Oluyole, Akufo and other urban communities in the State.
He also said that government had accorded water supply priority in the 2014 annual budget, so as to address past neglect of providing enduring infrastructure for water supply, stating that it had recently signed a loan agreement with the African Development Bank (ADB) for the financing of Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Improvement Project in the Ibadan metropolis, and that this would improve safe water distribution to the population of Ibadan and lifting total water supply to 80% in due course.
In his remarks, the General Manager of Water Corporation of Oyo State, Mr. Gabriel Oguntola, said that the project was awarded six months ago by the state government as part of efforts towards increasing the volume of potable water supply to the people of Ibadan metropolis.Eight out of the 10 pumps were rehabilitated with 100 per cent efficiency, while all critical water treatment units are now functioning well.
The rehabilitated and upgraded water treatment plant, he said, will increase water production from 10 per cent to 80 per cent production capacity and will also eliminate incidences of waterborne diseases.The contractor that handled the rehabilitation and upgrading of the plants, Mr. Stephannus Steiviou, said the plant could conveniently supply about 150 million litres of water to about four million residents of Ibadan and its environs on daily basis.
Governor Ajimobi later inspected the treatment plant, the low lift and high lift pumping stations where he ignited the engine for the commencement of immediate supply of water to Ibadan metropolis and its environs.