The member Representing Ankpa 1 State Constituency. Hon. Lawal Akus has called on the State Government to resuscitate Ankpa water board for the provisions of portable water across Ankpa Local Government.
The lawmaker made the call at the floor of the house on Tuesday.
According to him, Ankpa Township and by extension rely solely on boreholes and very dirty streams and waterways.
Explaining why Ankpa Water Board should be given urgent attention, Akus said “The significance of rural water is well spelt out in both the defunct Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Sustainable Development Goals. Drinking polluted, dirty and contaminated water exposes our people to numerous waterborne diseases such as: Hepatitis A: Hepatitis A is a highly infectious disease that primarily affects the liver. Washing and eating foods prepared with contaminated and dirty water can expose you to the disease.Typhoid: Typhoid is a life threatening bacterial infection.
” It usually spreads when people consume contaminated water or food washed with dirty water. A person suffering from typhoid can transfer harmful bacteria to their bloodstream and intestinal track.Cholera: Cholera is an infection that primarily affects the small intestine. The bacterium responsible for this disease is known as Vibrio Cholera.
“The virus gets transmitted through the ingestion of water that contains traces of feces. When the untreated water goes through the sewage in waterways, it can affect the domestic water supply.Diarrhea: Diarrhea is one of the most common diseases caused by water contamination.
“The disease usually results in the passage of loose, watery stools that can cause dehydration and death in young children and infants. It is on account of the fact that water is key amongst basic necessities of life that I am calling the attention of this honorable house, and Kogi State government in particular to this major social need that has been long neglected, hoping a lasting rehabilitation be carried out to rehabilitate the Ankpa Water Board by the relevant government agencies.
Hon. Akus called on the Ministry of Water resources to include the resuscitation, rehabilitation and reticulation of Ankpa Water Board in the year 2024 fiscal budget.
Seconding the motion, the Member Representing Ankpa 2. Hon. Ibrahim Abbas while describing water as life pointed out that, there is need to provide portable drinking water for the people of Kogi State.
In his submission, the Member Representing Ajaokuta State constituency Hon. Abu Onoru-Oiza Jibrin averred that the people of the central Senatorial District especially that, Ajaokuta and Okehi are facing similar problem, just as he admonished the Government to urgently look into the matter to avert outbreak
Ruling on the motion, the Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly Rt. Hon. Umar Aliyu appeal to the State Government and water board to help in the provisions of good water in all the 21 local government area of Kogi State.