Since the people of Bussa ceded their land for the construction of Kainji Dam and relocated to New Bussa, now the headquarters of Borgu local government area of Niger State, they have been grappling with the problem of access to pipe-borne water.
For 30 years, the peop faced serious difficulties in accessing potable water despite several attempts to rehabilitate the moribund water works in the area.
Even the presence of critical infrastructure, state and federal governments’ agencies in the community did not make the relevant authorities to pay attention to the project amid its increasing population.
New Bussa is a home to strategic military formations , two tertiary education institutions, a national park and Kainji Hydro Power Dam.
The New Bussa water facility was constructed 41 years ago by the Second Republic administration of the late and former governor of Kwara State, Alhaji Adamu Attah. It stopped working 10 years after it was constructed and for over 30 years the people lived without pipe-borne water
It was therefore a dream come true for New Bussa and its environs as the inauguration of the project was performed last week by the secretary to the government of the federation (SGF) Senator George Akume.
The National Hydro-electric Power Producing Areas Commission (N-HYPPADEC) took the responsibility for the rehabilitation and reticulation of the water works.
The commission’s intervention was sequel to the cry of the members of the community that they had been neglected after sacrificing their ancestral homes for the construction of the Kanji Dam. Their clamour for redress predated the movement of the area from Kwara State to Niger State in 1991.
No body gave the project a chance, when N-HYPPADEC unveiled its plan to invested N2.2 billion on the project for the reticulation, rehabilitation, installation, replacement and expansion of water supply to the areas in New Bussa and its environs.
The hope was however rekindled when the project was in 2022 handed to the contractors for overhauling .
The managing director of N-HYPPADEC Alhaji Abubakar Sadiq Yelwa, had said the contract was for a duration of six month but it took two years to be completed.
Albeit, the residents were hopeful of its completion and at last their dream came to fruition.
A resident of New Bussa, Farouk Mustapha,told LEADERSHIP Weekend that was by the grace of God that I we survived it all these years, we are very appreciative that the commission has made this possible for us.
He recalled how as a child, they struggled to get potable water for their households and depended on water hawkers from unsafe sources for them.
Another resident who expressed same feeling, Mohammed Muazu told LEADERSHIP Weekend that it was a dream come true and that the people were vulnerable to water-borne diseases over the years .
“You can imagine that we live near the river, we host one of the biggest hydro power dams, yet we lived for years without pipe-borne water, but the feeling that our children will not pass through same experience is good,” he added
Also on the realisation of the dream, Hajiya Zainab Yakubu, said the project would not have come at a better time than now that there are reports of outbreak of water borne-diseases such as cholera all over the country
Another resident Kate Akintola said New Bussa by thie development would be opened up and would boost household businesses as well as improve on the wellbeing of the people.
Also, Mrs Kubrat Ishola expressed joy over the actualisation of the project, saying that they have suffered over the years due to scarcity of water.
She said , “We can now heave a sigh of relief, that we can access potable drinking water rather than boreholes and wells we depended on as sources of water in the past.”
Similarly, the immediate past state chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Makama Borgu, Hon. Zakari Haliru Jikantoro, recalled that they were relocated from their ancestral Bussa to the New Bussa in 1968 due to the dam construction by the federal government but successive governments failed to fulfil their promises on the project leading to the various developmental challenges .
Jikantoro therefore lauded N-HYPPADEC over its commitment, federal and Niger State governments’ political will through collaborative approach adopted for the realisation of the project, describing it as unprecedented.
He said said the demand for pipe-borne water had increased due to the rise in population and expansion of the town abd posited that the modern equipment installed used the water project will meet the expectations of the residents.
Also speaking, the Satalin Borgu, Alhaji Mohammed Mohammed, who has ben agitating over the years for the provision of social amenities in New Bussa, said he felt fulfilled with the actualisation of the project after about 30 years.
He however appealed to government at all levels not to abandon the project after its inauguration but ensure constant maintenance for its maximum utilisation, because the people can not afford to go back to former unhealthy sources of water.
The Emir of Borgu, Mohsmmed Sani Haliru Dantoro IV, said the completion of the project was a half century-old promise kept by the Nigerian State, as well as a dream come true for the people of Borgu.
He said, “This started about 60 years ago, when impoundment of our lands commenced in the early 1963 to make way for the Kainji Dam.
“The people of Old Bussa were promised the most basic of human necessities by the Nigerian government through the Kainji Dam Authority for the provision of potable water, electricity among others”
To the Emir, it was agonising to wait all these years but scintillating that they have waited for years for the promise to be kept under his reign.
He was happy that the fulfilment of the promise came through N-HYPPADEC, mandated to manage ecological menace due to operations of dams and other hydroelectric power activities .
Borgu local government chairman, Suleiman Yerima, also appreciated the gesture of HYPPADEC, noting that the community had suffered over the years following the decayed facilities and neglect of the development of New Bussa town
In his address, Akume (SGF) said it was a milestone in the journey of the present administration, under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, towards improving living standards and attaining sustainable development goals
The SGF represented by the minister of state for agriculture and food security, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, said the project was long over due and commended the commission for its realisation.
The governor of Niger State Mohammed Umar Bago said the project would end the perennial water problem experienced in New Bussa and its environs over the years.
The governor who was represented by the commissioner for works and infrastructure, Suleiman Umar, said the provision of potable water to the people remained the driving force of socio-economic development in every society hence the need to prioritise the sector.
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