EDITOR’S PICK:
EKO HOT BLOG reports that the remarks made by the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, regarding borehole contamination in the state have been criticized by the national president of the Nigeria Borehole Drillers Association, Ale Micheal, as evidence that the state government has failed to provide safe water.
This online media platform recalls that the commissioner advised locals to use caution when consuming borehole water and warned that well and borehole water in the state are unfit for use by people or even animals.
“Many Lagosians know water from all their boreholes and wells is not fit for human consumption. The water is not even fit for animal consumption because we have tried it and if you test the water aquifers in Lagos, you find out that you cannot use them for consumption. And that is not a theory, it is a fact,” Abayomi had said.
Michael, in a statement made available to journalists on Sunday, said the commissioner had instilled fear into the heart of residents who depend on groundwater from wells and boreholes, including farmers who use water to irrigate their farms.
He said, “Although I do not agree with the commissioner’s submission that all boreholes in Lagos are contaminated, hand-dug wells at shallow levels may be with various contaminants because of the depth where the water table is encountered, but professionally handled borehole is free of contaminants.
“Professionally handled borehole is practically safe, but should also be subjected to test before consumption. Periodic testing of raw water sources will detect any contaminant in wells or boreholes. Government should collaborate with associations like the Association of Water Well Drilling Rig Owners and Practitioners to develop the capacity of drilling contractors at all levels and Nigerians should not patronise quack in the borehole drilling industry.
“Now that Abayomi has condemned all boreholes and water wells in Lagos, it is an indication that the government system in Lagos has failed by not providing basic presumably safe pipe borne water facility to houses for Lagos dwellers, especially within the city, even at a cost.
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“The solution to this is not farfetched. Stakeholders in the water sector have the right solutions. This report should not scare Nigerians but rather a call for action to institutionalise water management in Nigeria. Invest more in water resources and develop capacity as appropriate and create a sustainable market for household water purification products.”
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