Adeleke seeks FG’s collaboration on water projects

Osun Governor Ademola Adeleke has pleaded with the federal government to work with the state on water supply initiatives.

This was stated in a statement released on Friday in Osogbo by Malam Rasheed Olawale, the governor’s spokesperson.

The state and the federal government should work together on water supply projects in Ile Ife, Iwo, and Ede, the governor suggested.

In Abuja, Adeleke had a meeting with Alhaji Adamu Abubakar, the minister of water resources, to discuss the water supply projects.

He declared that all project implementation issues impeding the Ilesa water project could be resolved by his administration.

The federal ministry of water resources, the federal ministry of finance, and the state government, he declared, should consult in a triangular fashion.

According to him, such consultation will unravel details of the contractual and technical issues delaying the completion of the Ilesa water project.

He noted that the committee set up by the state government discovered a lot of irregularities in the contract implementation, leading to the suspension of the water project consultant.

“Osun is ready to join the league of states partnering with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and multilateral bodies to upgrade some of its water works.

“We will submit proposals for Iwo and Ede water projects. We also seek accelerated action on the ongoing Ile Ife project.”, he said.

During the meeting, Abubakar said that the ministry was ready to meet the technical committee from Osun to resolve issues delaying the Ilesa water project.

He decried the pollution of the water source at Ilesa by activities of illegal gold miners, and urged the state to intensify efforts to sanitise the mining environment.

The minister, however, called for the submission of technical proposals for the international and federal interventions for Ede and Iwo water works. (NAN)