As the acute water shortage continues to hit Gusau metropolis in Zamfara State, the managing director of the State Water Board, Alhaji Buhari Salihu Dosara, has urged residents to hold the State government responsible for the scarcity which is causing hardship for them.
In an exclusive interview with Media Talk Africa in Gusau, Dosara disclosed that the State government had refused to release funds for operation of the Board. Although the government is responsible for the maintenance of the Board, the funds are withheld, making it impossible for the Board to generate revenue. Furthermore, declaring free water for all consumers worsened the matter as there was no funding to meet the rising demand.
Dosara further explained that all the equipment which provides water for consumers had been grounded due to the government’s refusal to release funds, even the generators were no longer functioning properly which has made the problem difficult to solve.
Although the State’s deputy governor, Senator Hassan Nasiha Muhammad Gusau, was informed of the situation three months ago during an unscheduled visit to the Board, nothing has been done to tackle the acute water shortage.
Residents in Gusau and its environs have been affected by the prolonged water scarcity, sparked by the failure of the State government to provide adequate funding. Water vendors have doubled the price of a 25-liter jerrican of water, selling it for N80 instead of the former N30 as they strive to buy the commodity at a high cost to sell to desperate consumers.
Madam Quality, a restaurant operator in Gusau, said she spends huge amounts of money on a daily basis to buy water or risk losing customers if she increases the price of her food.
The State commissioner for Information, Ibrahim Magaji Dosara, denied the allegations, stating that the State government is funding the Board and is also responsible for the free water policy for consumers. Nonetheless, the Water Board is experiencing acute water shortages, raising concerns among residents about the State government’s commitment to tackle the issue.
