We drilled, didn’t renovate 25 boreholes with N1.2bn – Sokoto govt

The Sokoto state government has clarified that the sum of N1.2 billion was spent on drilling not renovating solar powered boreholes as reported earlier. While paying a thank-you visit to Wurno local government area, Governor Ahmed Aliyu was reported to have said N1.2 billion was spent on renovating 25 boreholes in the area. This had […]

The Sokoto state government has clarified that the sum of N1.2 billion was spent on drilling not renovating solar powered boreholes as reported earlier.

While paying a thank-you visit to Wurno local government area, Governor Ahmed Aliyu was reported to have said N1.2 billion was spent on renovating 25 boreholes in the area. This had generated backlash, especially on social media.

Clarifying the issue in a statement, Abubakar Bawa, the governor’s spokesman, explained that the project was jointly financed with the World Bank under the ACReSAL programme.

According to him, there was no any existing borehole in the area to be renovated.

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“The attention of the Sokoto State Government has been drawn to a misconception being circulated about its interventions in providing potable drinking water to the rural dwellers through sinking of boreholes across the state.”

“In the misconception, which the enemies of progress are spreading, it was said the Sokoto State
Government spent N1.2 billion to renovate boreholes in some areas of Wurno Local Government.

“The fact of the matter is that the state government, in collaboration with the World Bank, under the ACReSAL programme drilled 25 boreholes domiciled in Munki, Marnona, Dinawa, Lugu and Wurno, perimeter fencing as well as a 40-kilometer shelter belt, all at the cost of N 1.2 billion.

“As against the insinuation that it was the renovation of the 25 boreholes that gulped N 1.2 billion, the fact is that, it is actually the drilling of 25 nos solar-powered boreholes and other projects that gulped the said amount and not the renovation.

“It is equally important to make it categorically clear that, boreholes never existed in those areas before the coming of this administration. Therefore, it is the present administration that initiated these projects in order to assist those communities to address the perennial water scarcity they have been facing long ago.

“It is a well known fact that the people of Wurno Local Government have for a very long time been facing acute water scarcity which forced the residents of several communities to travel to far distances to fetch water in order to meet up their domestic needs.

“This scenario has contributed greatly to low pupils’ enrollments and retaintion in schools in Wurno Local Government, because children have to be sent to fetch water to be used for domestic purposes.

“It is against this background that the Ahmed Aliyu led administration decided to come to the rescue of Wurno communities by drilling solar-powered boreholes in many areas under a collaborative effort by the World Bank, Sokoto State Government as well as ACReSAL programme.

“You can’t renovate a project that does not exist, so there was not a single borehole drilled in those areas before the advent of the present administration in sokoto state.

“These communities never experienced what is called’a borehole’ until now that Sokoto State has a listening and hardworking Governor.”

“Therefore, the aim of this laconic piece ia to put the records straight,and explain the boreholes issue that is being misconstrued by the enemies of progress and politicians with ill- motives.

“The state government did not repair neither renovate boreholes in Wurno Local Government. What the government did was drilling of the brand new 25 solar-powered boreholes spread in Wurno, Lugu, Munki, Marnona and Dinawa, perimeter fencing,40 kilometer shelter belt aa well as 500-hectare forest enrichment.”