How Kano can end water scarcity-Expert

From Mustapha Adamu, Kano

The Nigeria Society for Engineers (NSE) has called on Kano State Government to grant the state’s water board autonomy in order to check the prolonged scarcity of water.
A fellow of the NSE, Kano branch, Engineer Suleman Sani, made the call at an Engineering Symposium it organised to mark its annual ceremony, at Mambayya House in Kano, yesterday.
According to him, the board was facing many problems that hinder its full function, noting that only autonomy was needed to turn things around.
He said lack of fund was the major impediment bedeviling the board, adding that making it independent would enable it generates enough funds for its water production function.
“ The issue of power is the major impediment of the board towards water production in the water board. Look at the issue of alum also, the state government expends more than N30 million on alum procurement.
“This is why we have been trying to make the water board autonomous. If it is independent, it would generate enough revenue to fund itself,” he said
Sanin also called on the government to heed to the call to grant autonomy to the board, calling on the general public to compliment the government ‘s resolve to providing water by regularly pay for the water they consume monthly.
Earlier in a remark, the Commissioner for Water Resources and Rural Development, Alhaji Usman Sule Riruwai, said the administration of governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has raised its budget allocation and releases to water sector for its improvement.
Riruwai, represented by the Managing Director, water board, Auwal Muhammad Galadanci, however stated that the state government spends N100 million on alum procurement.
He added that the government also pays not less than N60 million in power generation for the water production, lamenting that the consumers pay less than 25% of the money spent by the government.