By Dada Ahmed in Lokoja.
For the second time in a month, residents of Lokoja, Kogi State capital,north central Nigeria, again, acknowledged the return of scarcity of potable water in the area with a clarion call on the state government to come to their rescue.
Those who spoke with our correspondent at Gadumo, a suburb of the state capital on Sunday,appealed to the Governor of the state,Alhaji Yahaya Bello,to find lasting to the problem.
They described the scarcity of water in the area as a development that is fast becoming a recurring decima with social, health and economic implications.
Our correspondent recalls that the area was hit by the scarcity of such an essential commodity about two weeks ago.
Then, the General Manager, Kogi State Water Board, Engr. Mohammed Sagir,in a statement,attributed the scarcity to a voltage drop in the power supply and promised that efforts were on to solve the problem.
Two days after Sagir’s promise, the water returned but this was shortlived as the scarcity of drinkable water resurfaced.
A reliable source at the water board,who spoke with our correspondent.on the condition of anonymity,described the problem as going from bad to worse, citing finance as one of the major factors responsible for the scarcity.
Some members of the picture who also spoke with The Reporters, on the issue, called on the state government to take a second look at its recent freezing of state government accounts.
This,they argued, became necessary with a view for government to removing some strategic government agencies which have direct bearing on the life of the public from such policy to enable them have funds to operate, pending when the policy would be lifted.
They also called on the state government to create temporary or alternative funding arrangement for such agencies to meet their aims and objectives for the benefit of the people.
