By Ebiowei Lawal
YENAGOA- Messages of disappointment continued to pure into the social media since pictures revealing officials of the ministry of water resources buying water from local vendors popularly known as Mai-Ruwa appeared on Facebook to service top government officials at government house. The state lacks portable water to drink, despite the fact that Bayels is surrounded by river.
In spite of N500m allocated to the ministry in the 2017 budget, the ministry according to findings patronizes water vendors on daily basis, while the citizenry depend on self-drilled boreholes for drinkable water.
According to public record, out of every 100 Bayelsan 3.37 per cent suffer from cholera, 44.94 per cent from diarrhea, 16.85 per cent from dysentery and 34.83 per cent from typhoid fever annually, yet Bayelsans are subjected to poor water hygiene.
Reacting to the disturbing picture, the commissioner for Water Resources, Hon. Talbot Tubonah said the ministry patronized water vendors because the water pumping machines at his office were bad.
Explaining further he described the person that took the photograph as one who’s sole aim is to blackmail the Restoration Government.
According to him, the state through a World Bank counterpart funding project have concluded plans to ensure that water gets to the door step of Bayelsans before the end of 2018.
“Before the end of the first quarter of 2018, water would be effectively reticulated in Yenagoa and that residents will get water at their door steps.
“Not only Yenagoa, water will get into rural communities across the state and government would ensure that the project does not fail.