Asaba – Mr Fidelis Tilije, Commissioner for Water Resources Development in Delta, said on Wednesday that the state government was determined to address water supply in the state.
The commissioner stated this while briefing newsmen on decisions reached at the state’s Executive Council meeting in Asaba.
He said that the ministry had been mandated to present a detailed paper to the council on what it would take to improve water supply across the state.
He said that the government was experiencing paucity of funds but that efforts were being made to block all financial leakages to shore up the state’s revenue.
He assured that funds available to the state would be judiciously utilised.
Tilije disclosed that the government would encourage Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement to fund most of its projects and programmes.
“Water will not only run in Asaba but will run across the state.
“I have been directed as commissioner in charge of water resources development to present a blue print, based on in-depth knowledge of what we need to do to ensure that the water processes in Delta state are improved immediately.
“The governor being the pioneer Commissioner for Water Resources in the state will want to nurture and make water available to the people,” he said.
Tilije also disclosed that the council had approved the rehabilitation of a 20-bed cottage hospital in Azuowa, Abavo in Ika North-East Local Government Area.
He said that contract for the hospital was first awarded in 2004 but that the project was abandoned.
He explained that with the approval, the hospital would be expanded and rehabilitated to meet the current health needs of people in the area.
He said council had approved the modalities to support and bring back the 30 students of the state origin who had completed their training in Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados but were stranded.
According to him, the students, who had gone to acquire technical training, on their return will support government by imparting the knowledge to students of technical colleges being restructured in the state.
The commissioner stated that the council also approved empowerment programmes to create wealth and at least, create 6,000 jobs for youths in the state.
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“This empowerment programme has to do with agriculture, entrepreneurship and skills acquisition, aimed at encouraging farmers to form cooperatives which would directly impact on 6,000 people.
“The matching order has been given to the jobs creation units of the government to ensure that this is quickly done, based strictly on merit,’’ he said.
He explained that beneficiaries of the government empowerment programmes would be adequately trained and given starter packs to begin their own businesses ‘’which would be tracked to ensure success’’. (NAN)
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