ABIA STATE GOVERNMENT AND A FOREIGN BASED ORGANISATION COMMENCE OVER ONE BILLION NAIRA WATER SCHEME REHABILITATION.

The Abia state government in collaboration with “Mercy Corps” a foreign based organisation has commenced the rehabilitation of over one billion naira water scheme projects in the state.

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony of the rehabilitation in Ubakala, Umuahia South Local Government Area, Governor Alex Otti said that the projects aimed at improving access to potable water in some parts of the state.

Governor Otti explained that the projects, being executed in partnership with an international organisation would cover the rehabilitation of the Ubakala Water Scheme and the Ariaria Water Scheme in Aba.

The Governor who announced that the Aba Regional Water Scheme was nearing completion said that the Ariaria and Ubakala projects would further strengthen water supply in the state.

He commended “Mercy Corps” the foreign based organisation for its resilience and support despite setbacks that delayed the project’s implementation and attributed them to kidnap of the initial financiers of the project as well the withdrawal of USAID support

In her remark, the Country Director of Mercy Corps, Ms Rabi Sani, who was represented by the Infrastructure Manager of the organisation, Mr Alfred Obetensaid that the Ariaria project, tagged Lot A1, was valued at about N620 million and expected to serve at least 10,000 people annually.

Earlier, the Commissioner for Power and Public Utilities, Mr Ikechukwu Monday, said that the project aligned with the state government’s Abia Integrated WASH Accelerated Programme inaugurated last year stressing that the Ubakala scheme would include a 1.5-kilometre transmission pipeline, while the Ariaria scheme would have a 2.5-kilometre transmission pipeline to serve about 600 households.