Inadequate water supply is affecting the routine maintenance of the multi- billion naira Ilorin Central Jumma’at Mosque in Kwara State.
The world class mosque has become a source of tourists’ attraction to Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State.
The scarcity of water is felt more during the weekly Friday Jumma’at service when worshipers require a lot of water for ablution and toiletries.
LEADERSHIP gathered that the inadequate water supply to the mosque was due to the tapping of a dedicated pipe to the facility by the people living around the communities that surrounded the mosque.
The supply of water to the mosque only on Friday as against the former three days by the water board has worsened the situation.
The executive secretary of the Mosque, Alhaji Sulaiman Bayero at a news conference in Ilorin, lamented the inadequate water supply to the edifice by the state water board.
Bayero, who said the situation is becoming unbearable, lamented that it is worse during the Jum’aat services on Fridays.
“You know the importance of water to the Muslims in a mosque especially during the Jumaat service. Though, we made adequate provision for water supply to the mosque by requesting for a dedicated water pipe which was granted by the state water corporation and it was working perfectly until about two years ago when people around the vicinity started to tap the dedicated pipe.
“The water corporation has also reduced the number of days of water supply to the mosque from three to one.
“Though, we also dug a 280-metre borehole to complement the supply of water to the mosque, but irregular power supply to pump the water to the four tanks of 40,000-litre capacity tanks could not satisfy the water needs of the congregation.
“We need water to flow in the mosque 24 hours because visitors from far and near including foreigners come to visit the mosque every day,” Bayero said.
He called for the urgent intervention of the state government, stressing that adequate water supply is required to maintain and preserve the beauty of the mosque.
