The Special Adviser to Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun state on Small Town Water Supply And Sanitation Agency And Osun State Water Regulatory Commission, Hon. (Princess) Boade Oyewale has disclosed that the state government is working with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources on supplying water to places that are yet to experience water supply in Osun state.
She stated this during an interview session with Sahel Etv on Thursday at Osogbo,the state capital.
While speaking on the key priorities for the Osun State Water Regulatory Commission in ensuring effective water regulation and management
Hon. Boade explained that the Water Regulatory Commission is otherwise called Water Police because they are the one in charge of ensuring that portable final water reach the consumers.
“They monitored that there is good water supply with good chemicals are added to the water to purify it adequately. The Commission is like the one monitoring all other water sectors. The are the police monitoring the activities and ensuring that the final supply to the consumers are portable. She noted.
She continued by describing what her office is mainly about and her role as the SA on Small Town Water Supply Agency .
“As a political head, I will say it is just to supervise the activities of giving portable water supply to the population of people within the range of 5,000 to 19,999 because there are other sectors that covers from 1 to 4,999 which is RUWESA while Osun Water Corporation covers 20,000 upwards. Small Town Water Supply majorly covers supply of portable water for population of 5,000 to 19,999.
She, however elaborate on the strategies being undertaken to improve small-town water supply and sanitation in Osun.
In her words “Before the new government came on board, they had just two water schemes in existence and it wasn’t that effective but now with the help of the governor, Ademola Adeleke, we were able to work on five others schemes. In total, we now have seven schemes working perfectly.
” The seven schemes include Okuku, Oke-Osun, Igbaye, Eko-Ende/Inisa, Oluponna, Esa-Oke and Orileowu.
Speaking on how the agency collaborate with local communities to address specific water supply.
She reiterated that they are working on the collaboration with the local governments environmental sanitation officers in order to get effective portable water supply.
” Moreover, they are already trained officers towards the work. They check the area where water is, check the sanitation and ensures that nothing contaminates the portable water supply because these are part of the criterias through which the national organizations, NGOs, United Nations used to give states grants.
“They have to check where the water is supplied and ensuring where the water is supplied to have a good hygiene. So we are working serious with them to ensure this because they are closer to the people at the grassroot and also especially in the area of revenue generation.
“The challenges we have is on how to manage the schemes through getting of enough funds because maintenance of the schemes is tasking.
“Most of the dams and schemes are old, the pipes are weak and the moment water is supplied, pipe get burst in most of the places. We need enough funds to get the old pipes replaced and each scheme will cost more than N500millon.
“Presently, we are working with the Federal government since they always have some grants support from international communities like UK, United Nations, African Development Bank, World Bank and more. We are working with the FG so as to ensure that we are given enough grants to cater for the schemes.
Princess Oyeboade, shared some of her office success stories notable achievements with Sahel etv.
According to her though the Small Town Water Supply is majorly about schemes and downbased supply but they have some other schemes that some National Legislative members did that we are the one managing it.
“All the water schemes needs proper management and repair because without proper management the scheme will end up not being useful after a while.
” Our success story is having Okuku, Oke-Osun, Igbaye, Eko-Ende/Inisa, Oluponna, Esa-Oke and Orileowu water schemes running effectively.
“Water Regulatory Commission is the one that monitors the activities of all other water sectors. Water Regulatory Commission is no only about small towns, it also includes taking of water samples to laboratories for test and ensure that the final water supply is checked, suitable and portable for the consumption of the consumers.
“Other things that Water Regulatory Commission does is; making sure that they go to organizations or places like Pure water factories, Drinks and water bottling companies, Food Vendors, etc, where they are using water is check and make sure that the water they are supplying to people or used are good. Water Regulatory Commission in the state is like NAFDAC, SON and others at the national level.” She emphasized.
The SA disclosed that the agency is in partnerships with other government agencies, NGOs, or private entities in order to enhance water supply and sanitation in the state
“At the state level we are working with the Ministry of environment because we have to collaborate with them so as to ensure that the environment that people are living is healthy and hygienic. We are also working with the Ministry of Health since they are in charge of taking care of peoples’ health while the mining sector is to help control illegal mining activities that has really contaminated our dams, rivers and water supply.
While providing insights into the agency plans for expanding and upgrading water infrastructure in underserved areas.
She stressed that the state government is working on supplying water to places that are yet to experience water supply.
” We are working with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources on this and during our last meeting with them, we solicited for funds because it is only the Federal government and International communities that can help us with the water schemes and dams, these projects are money consuming and the state government can’t do it alone.” She added.
