By Josephine Oguntoyinbo
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The people of Oke-Agunla and Aro-Baale in Akure North Local Government area of Ondo State have commended the state government for rehabilitating the moribund boreholes in the area.
They particularly thanked the government for drilling new ones to meet their needs in the communities.
This was done by the team of “Kamomi Aketi Water Scheme” set up early this year by the state government to revive boreholes in no fewer than 3,000 communities across the 18 local governments areas of the state.
The Olu of Oke-Agunla, Chief Saliu Bakare informed The Hope that before now, they have been having problems with the challenge of potable water which has subjected them to serious hardship.
Most worrisome according to him, he said is that some people were recently infected with cholera epidemic in the community from the non availability of potable water.
The monarch who said that his subjects usually go far to the bush before getting stream water which is not pure applauded the present government for coming to their rescue immediately he called on them.
“We are very grateful to the governor and the team, they rehabilitated five boreholes that have stopped functioning for over four years, they equally drilled three new ones out of which the next community got one.
“As the head of this community, we would hold a meeting to choose the monitoring team that will be overseeing the facilities.”
Also, the Alatunse of the community, Chief Bello Fasanmi and Mr Mustapha Fasomiro who were elated that respite has come their ways through the scheme thanked the government for the gesture.
In separate interviews with some women of the communities, Mrs Abibat Mohammed, Glory Joseph, and Grace Samuel narrated how they have to trek miles in bushes before fetching streams water which is extremely dirty.
They stressed that the inhabitants of the communities have been battling with this challenge with no feasible solution in sight before the present government brought succor to them.
They stated further that they got home from the stream tired at times without water, especially during the dry season.
The women therefore praised the state government for saving them from diseases noting that potable water is a necessity for healthy living.
In an interview with the leader of the team who is the General Manager of the State Rural Water Sanitation and Supply Agency, Engr. Rotimi Oladimeji, he thanked the state governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN and the Chairman of the Agency, Mrs Yetunde Adeyanju for their zeal and passion for the scheme.
The GM who explained that the Chairman of the Agency had last week mobilised the team to the communities and on getting there, six boreholes were not functioning affirmed that five boreholes were revived same day.
According to him, the sixth moribund borehole near a classroom have been blocked by the school pupils which makes the team to make provision for extra boreholes for the affected community.
Oladimeji informed that the Oke-Agunla community has over 6,000 population with no supply of water which made the team to provide new ones apart from the rehabilitated boreholes.
He explained that people in one village in Oke-Agunla called Aro-Baale are prone to diseases because they defecate, bath inside, drink and wash clothes inside same stream and equally used it for palm oil production in which the public have been buying from.
To ensure safety of the people, he said the team has provided borehole for them.
