By Tosin Kolade
Abuja – Dr Garba Abari, the Director-General of National Orientation Agency (NOA), on Tuesday warned Nigerians to desist from blocking community drainage systems so as to prevent contamination of potable water sources.
Abari told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that the contamination of water sources was one of the major causes of water-borne diseases in the country, especially among children under the age of five years.
According to him, Nigerians should imbibe the habit of clearing neighbourhood drainage systems so as to ensure that potable water sources are not polluted by filth, particularly in the event of floods.
“We, as individuals, must cultivate the correct attitude of not blocking drainage systems in our communities because whenever we block the drainage channels, filthy water that comes with all sorts of contamination sieves into the public water supply mains, thereby polluting the water in the pipes.
“In recent times, there have been more than 60 reported cases of cholera in parts of the country; this tells you that there is a lot of contamination taking place in our public water supply systems, and it all has to do with the attitudes and behaviours of the citizens.’’
The director-general said that there was a direct relationship between what the three tiers of government were doing and the support rendered by the citizens, adding that government ought to be up and doing in efforts to improve the citizens’ lives.
Abari emphasised the need for Nigerians to adopt a culture of maintenance with regard to water supply utilities, saying that issues like burst water pipes and leakages, among others, ought to be addressed promptly so as to avoid water contamination.
“We must ensure that these pipes are promptly fixed; if there are delays before carrying out repair works on the pipes, all sorts of contamination must have taken place.’’
Abari said that NOA had initiated the National Campaign on Proper Maintenance of Public Utilities, in collaboration with the Federal Ministries of Water Resources, Power, Communications and the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB).
He expressed concern over infrastructural decay and poor maintenance of public utilities in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), saying that these were evident in the rampant cases of burst water pipes which stayed for weeks before they were repaired.
He said that the campaign had been adopted by the state and local government agencies, adding that the public sensitisation activity had facilitated efforts to improve the lifespan of public water utilities.
Abari said that the campaign had also received the support of local government assemblies, peer groups, associations and religious groups, as part of the designed efforts to promote good values and behaviours, particularly in the rural communities.
He stressed the need for collective responsibility in efforts to improve the lives of the citizens, saying that “government cannot do it alone’’.