Minister of Water Resources, Engr Suleiman H. Adamu, has said that it is the responsibility of the three tiers of government (federal, state and local governments) to provide portable water to the citizenry.
Adamu made this assertion on Friday during the flag-off ceremony for the rehabilitation, expansion and upgrading of the already existing Gombe Regional Water Supply Project at Tunfure in Gombe metropolis.
The minister further reiterated that provision of portable water supply and sanitation are the responsibility of the three tiers of government.
“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 portable water in the country towards meeting national and international set targets,” he said.
According to the minister, the MoU for this laudable project was signed in line with the cost sharing arrangement for Urban Water Supply Capital Investment partnership agreement and under this, the Federal Government shall provide 30 percent while Gombe State Government will provide the remaining 70 percent of the financial cost of the project.
He noted that his ministry had executed several similar partnership agreements with various state governments of the federation for implementation of major urban water supply projects, which have been successful under this policy.
He urged the state government to give utmost priority for the implementation of this project to optimally realize the project objective of providing sustainable water supply to the people of Gombe State.
The Director of Water Supply, Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Danjuma Madaki, gave an overview of the project.
While the Commissioner, State Ministry of Water Resources, Mijinyawa Yahaya, spoke on the components of the project among others to include the construction of three hybrid Booster Stations in Tunfure, Special Development Zone and NTA Station along the Airport Road, Mini Water Station in Tabra, construction and laying of 160km of pipeline network of different sizes in part of Gombe metropolis and rehabilitation of some existing water infrastructure in Wuro Juli and some boreholes water schemes.
However, present at the occasion were notable politicians of Gombe State extraction, commissioners of other ministries, traditional rulers of Gombe Emirates, head of agencies and officials of the state ministries.