The Minister of Water Resources, Sarah Reng Ochekpe, has called on the incoming administration to complete the existing water projects before initiating new ones.
Ochekpe made the call on May 25, 2015 in Abuja, while presenting key achievements of her ministry from 2011 to 2015 and unveiling the National Water Resources Information System logo/web-portal.
The Minister said there was the need for the incoming administration not only to continue with the transformation in the water sector, but also to ensure that all the ongoing water projects across the country are completed.
She said during the period under review, the ministry had completed about 55 dams (nine large, 11 medium and 35 small, with capacity to impound about 2 billion cubic meters of water), adding that the ministry initiated 173 new dams of various sizes across the country, now at various level of completion.
She said: “It is our expectation that the incoming government would build on what we have done and not jettison them and start new ones.
“I believed that in the course of governance of Nigeria, we should always see it as a relay where those who are to take the baton from those who are going will continue the race from there, not to go back to the starting point. I think as a country we always attempt to go back to the starting point and that never really progress in the relay.
“We hope that the incoming government will not be taken away with such syndrome, it will not help us as a nation.”
Ochekpe said in partnership with River Basin Development Authority, the Ministry was able to develop over 12,000 rural water supply facilities across the country.
Speaking on the National Water Resources Information Management system, Ochekpe said she observed that there was inadequate and inconsistent data in the Ministry, therefore the need for establishment of a reliable water resources data management system that will stand the test of time.
She said the objective of NAWIS is for the Ministry to have a repository of information for water resources activities in the country.
She said: “The Data Bank that is being established shall be interactive in servicing the public and private sector with comprehensive, coordinated, reliable and timely data on water resources for planning, policy formulation, programmes and projects monitoring and evaluation.”
The Minister urged those responsible for the establishment of NAWIS to put up their professional best to achieve the sets objectives.
All Directors in the Ministry and the Chairmen, Board of River Basin Development Authorities, commended Ochekpe for her visionary leadership that led to the success of the Ministry in past four years.
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Dotun O