ELECHI TO SPEND N36BN ON WATER SCHEMES

Speaking during an interactive session with members of Ebonyi Professionals Forum in Abuja over the weekend, Chief Elechi said the projects when completed would provide 200,000 liters of water daily to residents of the state.

He explained that laying pipes across the length and breadth of the state will cover 590 kilometers, while each of the water schemes has a daily capacity of producing 100,000 liters of water. He noted that the project design was done in a way that even if any of the water schemes undergoes repairs, water would still be reticulated to all parts of the state.

The governor stressed that effort is being made to complete the first phase of the project which would supply water to Abakaliki, the state capital. This he explained would entail pipe laying coverage of 56 kilometers. He attributed the shortage in water supply to the state capital from the recently rehabilitated Ezillo Water Scheme to leakages due to obsolete pipes in Abakaliki.

Gov Elechi said 'We are passionate about this project because it will provide water to all the communities in the state. Our challenge is that completing these two gigantic projects will cost the state government about N36 billion. And you all know that the global economic melt-down really affected our monthly allocation from the federation account. This has affected the pace of the projects. You also know that we went to the capital market to source funds to complete some of these laudable projects that will benefit our people.'

He noted that his Government was contemplating using revenues accruable from the removal of fuel subsidy to fund the project. On how far the government has gone in the water project, Gov Elechi disclosed that the first batch of pipes has arrived Port Harcourt, explaining that the contractors would begin to lay them next month.

He however, regretted that the recent nation-wide strike by the organized Labour to protest the removal of fuel subsidy had affected the progress of work at the Ofrekpe and Ukawu Water Schemes, including the installation of millers in the three ultra-modern rice processing factories being constructed by his government. The governor stated that experts who were to have come from Japan and Middle East to do the installation early January were delayed even as he assured that the fixing of the millers would commence next week.

On his achievements in office so far, he listed the completion of 33 bridges of unity, construction of International market in Abakaliki, building of new state secretariat at the Ocho Udo City and rehabilitation of two model secondary schools in each of the 13 local government areas of the state among others. He said the first girls' technical school in the state was nearing completion in Ishielu local government area and would be commissioned by the First Lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan.

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