Otti Revives Abandoned Aba Regional Water Scheme

Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia


Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has commenced the rehabilitation of the long-abandoned Aba Regional Water Scheme, saying that he wants every family in Abia to have access to public water supply.

The Aba Regional Water Scheme was originally initiated by the federal government over two decades ago but abandoned along the way following disagreement with the contractor.

Past Abia governments made futile efforts to get the Federal Ministry of Water Resources to resolve its disputes with the contractor in order to complete the regional water scheme.

However, the Otti administration has ended the endless waiting for the federal government to complete the water project for Aba, and has instead initiated its own regional water scheme for the commercial city and its environs.

At the flagging-off ceremony of the Aba Regional Water Scheme held at the premises of St. Joseph College, Christ the King Church(CKC), Aba, Otti said that the journey towards restoration of public water supply across the state has begun.

“Our vision is to build a community where there is a public water stamp post within a two to three minute walking distance from every home,” he said.

According to the governor, his ultimate goal is “to cut down the amount of time that thousands of individuals, especially children and mothers, commit to sourcing water from private boreholes or remote streams.”

To attain this target, Otti stated that there was no going back in his resolve to restore public water supply to Aba, Umuahia, and across the 57 rural water schemes in the state.

He noted that resuscitation of the existing water schemes and the addition of new ones across the state are the integral components of the water, sanitation, and hygiene(WASH) accelerated programme of the sustainable development goals (SDG).

Otti further stated that the water project would also support emergency response services, especially in moments of fire outbreaks, enabling rescue workers to save lives and mitigate damages to property.

He ordered the deployment of security agents to protect public assets and keep vandals at bay, adding that everybody has a duty to safeguard public facilities and report suspected acts of sabotage to the appropriate authorities.

Otti commended the contractor handling the water project and representative of Vena Cava Technologies Nig. Ltd., Mr. Miloslav Mitic, for his experience and commitment towards the project.

The Catholic Bishop of Aba Diocese, Most Rev. Prof. Augustine Echema, in a goodwill message, commended Governor Otti for initiating the water project and other laudable projects to enhance people’s welfare.

He said that a new beginning has commenced in Abia State with Otti matching his words with action, adding that evidence abound that governance had never been as good as it is today in Abia.

Both the Commissioner for Power and Public Utilities, Ikechukwu Monday, and the General Manager Abia State Water and Sewage Corporation, Felix Okonkwo, underlined the importance of the Aba regional water scheme.