Delta State Commissioner for Water Resources and Development, Sir Fidelis Tilije, has said that his ministry is currently moving from erecting water tap stands in urban centres but rather embracing the idea of delivering water directly to home of consumers in a new ‘Pay as you go’ arrangement.
He said that the government had resolved that water and sanitation are not and can no longer be treated as social but an economic good.
Tilije stated this during the ministerial press briefing in Asaba recently to highlight the achievement of the ministry for the past three years.
“We will not do water stand in Asaba. We are changing to regional water scheme that will be delivered directly to your homes and pay as you go. We are experimenting with Asaba and Ughelli and will connect consumers truck a line base on request, Tilije stated. The Commissioner noted that the few tap stands in towns and cities were positioned to indicate that water was available in so many places, but connection would be on request, stressing that the policy of Delta State Urban Water Board is to make consumers pay for water consumption.
On the water testing policy, Tilije explained that the essence was not for government to generate money but to make boreholes healthy, adding that the State governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa had directed the subsidizing of the process by reducing the price from ten thousand naira to five thousand naira.
Tilije said that the governor had been very supportive of his ministry, and had left behind a very sound structure, which the commissioner said had made him to always be on his toes to deliver on the mandate of the ministry.
As regards the mandate for delivery of portable water and liquid sanitation service in the state, Tilije advocated the need and support of improving general health conditions of Deltans as enshrined in the SMART Agenda of governor Okowa. He added that government has continued to sensitise her people that not all water is good particularly for drinking.
“We will, however, continue to work around to tackle these challenges and get more innovative to achieve the desired result in this area of trite healthy environment with safe water that will breed healthy people and reduce sickness that is waterborne, Tilije said.
Besides, he revealed that Delta State has been selected as one of the states that signed Memorandum of Understanding with European Union and UNICEF for the Niger Delta Support Program NDSP on water supply and sanitation, adding that governor Okowa understood the importance and benefit of international partnership, as he graciously approved and disbursed four hundred and four million, eight hundred thousand naira ( N404, 800,000) counterpart contribution under the first face of water supply procurement agreement.
It was gathered that a sum of one billion, five hundred million naira was committed by EU/ UNICEF on the procurements and constructions of water assets in the State.
