The Federal Ministry of Water Resources and the Gombe State government have flagged off the rehabilitation, expansion and upgrading of the Gombe Regional Water Supply Scheme at Tunfure in Gombe metropolis.
The project is in line with a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) agreement signed between the federal and state governments in August 2021.
At the ceremony held at the weekend, the minister of water resources, Engr Suleiman Adamu, said the water supply scheme is co-funded by the federal government through the Ministry of Water Resources and Gombe State government in accordance with the provision of the National Water Supply Scheme and Sanitation Policy, noting that the policy was approved by Federal Executive Council and ratified by National Council of States in January 2000.
He said ratio 30 to 70 percent was the sharing cost of funds by the federal government and Gombe State government respectively to complete the laudable project in the state.
Adamu, while noting that it is the responsibility of the three tiers of government (federal, state and local governments) to provide potable water supply to the publics, urged the state to play its part in ensuring utmost priority in realising the objective of providing sustainable water supply to the people of Gombe State.
Buttressing that “provision of potable water supply and sanitation has been the responsibility of the 3 tiers of Government, i.e federal, state and local governments. The federal government through my ministry is responsible for the overall policy framework, general coordination, monitoring and evaluation and also to support the other tiers through specific interventions which is meant to accelerate access to potable water in the country towards meeting national and international set targets.”
The minister stated several other partnership agreements with various state governments that have been implemented successfully under the ministry’s policy on water supply projects.
On his part, Governor Inuwa Yahaya said his administration is working tirelessly to meet the rising demand of water supply in the community because of the influx of internally displaced persons from neighbouring states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa due to insurgency.
He said the historic flag-off of the rehabilitation, expansion and upgrading of the existing regional water supply scheme has marked the commencement of the project with assurance of full commitment to its completion.
