From Saudi Arabia, Zulum promises to address Borno’s water scarcity in 48 hours

The Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has expressed his administration’s commitment to convert all boreholes within Maiduguri, the state capital, and its environs to solar-powered ones to guarantee steady water supply.

Zulum made this known in a broadcast to residents about the problem of water scarcity in the city caused by a lack of steady electricity supply.

Recall that the power supply to Maiduguri from the national grid has been affected since January when insurgents destroyed some of the transmission towers.

Also, the new 50-megawatt gas power plant constructed by the Federal Government in Maiduguri has been off and on due to technical and software problems.

The governor, in a video from Saudi Arabia, where he was observing the lesser Hajj (Umrah), said alternative measures were also being taken to address the water problem within 48 hours.

READ ALSO: Zulum warns against merging Army University, NDA, says it will give B’haram ‘upper hand’

He decried the corruption associated with some of those handling government boreholes within the city, who were being supplied fuel for six hours daily but ended up pumping water for only one hour daily.

Zulum said: “We are going to set up committees for the boreholes in each ward, involving residents to monitor and address the problem.

“Residents need to sit up and assist the government in ensuring service delivery.”

The governor encouraged citizens to use the period of Ramadan to pray for peace and prosperity and for divine intervention in exposing saboteurs of government programmes and policies.

He affirmed the recent arrest of some people linked to cases of fire outbreaks in displaced persons camps.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now