Water provision: Christopher Kolade wants govt, private sector collaboration

WORRIED by the enormous problem posed by lack of access to potable water among Nigerians, particularly at the grass roots, the country's former High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Dr Christopher Kolade, has said that private sector and voluntary organisations must work with government to improve the situation because government alone cannot do it.Speaking at the official inaugurating and handover of a solar powered borehole donated by BATN Foundation to Ofatedo community in Ijara-Isin in the Isin Local Government Area of Kwara State at the weekend, Dr Kolade, who is also the chairman board of directors of the Foundation said prevalence of water-borne ailments had presented a continuing challenge to governments in Nigeria and other parts of the world."If, indeed, we are to succeed in our national aim of alleviating poverty and bringing about socio-economic development, it is clear that the provision of safe and potable water to the entire citizenry will give us a credible platform for success," he said.Dr. Kolade, who said it was ditressing when people were exposed to various kind of diseases because their water source carried impurities, added that one of the effects of the situation was that a lot of resources that should be committed to the development of other vital sectors of the economy had been deployed to the provision of drugs to treat water borne diseases in many communities.He said one of the principal objectives of the foundation was the determination to provide potable water to communities all over Nigeria, assuring that provision of safe water would improve the quality of life of rural and urban dwellers in Nigeria and also lead to the enhancement of socio-economic well being and livelihood of the people.He said since establishment of the Foundation in 2002, it had provided potable water to 56 communities across all the six geo-political zones in the country, urging the people of Ofatedo community to treat the facility as their own and ensure that there is no vandalisation or any activity that may deprive the entire community of the benefit.Also speaking, the Commissioner for Water Resources, Mr Idris Abubakar Garba, commended the donor, promising the support of the state government for the community in the maintenance of the water project.
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