Determined to ensure that residents of Enugu enjoy adequate water
supply, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi’s administration has awarded a
contract of N165 million to Ovamann Pumps Limited to maintain and
rehabilitate, under emergency situation, the facilities at Ajali and
Oji River Water Treatment Schemes to supply enough water to Enugu
metropolis.
The State Commissioner for Water Resources, Chief Charles Egumgbe,
disclosed this when he led a delegation of the management of the
ministry in company of the Managing Director of the state’s Water
Corporation, Engr. Chidozie Eze to inspect the projects, which are
ongoing.
Addressing the contractor, Kevin Ifegbuike, who was at work at the
sites with his staff, Chief Egumgbe said that the government team was
on an inspection visit following the directive of the governor that
the projects be monitored closely to ensure that they are delivered
according to specifications and the terms of the contract.
The Commissioner disclosed that the Ajali and Oji River Treatment
Plants which have about 60,000-70,000 cubic meters of water was
currently having 20,000 because of the age of the facilities that have
spanned over 40 years, saying that “at the end of the day, we may be
expecting all together about close to 70,000 cubic meters of water per
day”.
He expressed optimism that the people of the state, particularly those
in Enugu metropolis will begin to enjoy adequate water supply at the
end of the rehabilitation, adding that the state government has
long-term plans to expand the campaign to benefit other parts of the
state, “when the foreign loan facilities must have matured”.
Chief Egumgbe charged the company to ensure that the specifications
and the terms of the contract were carried out to the letter, stating
that the state government will hold the contractor liable, if there is
any breach.
“We want to admonish the contractor to ensure a very efficient and
strict performance and that is the essence of the ministry appointing
a special body to supervise this job so as to ensure that the terms of
the contract are adhered to for the benefit of all in the state. It is
only when this feat is achieved that the people would have heaved a
sigh of relief, courtesy of our governor’s intervention”, the
commissioner said.
Responding, the contractor handling the projects, Ifegbuike, thanked
the state government for the confidence reposed in the company and
reassured that they will deliver the job efficiently and to the
satisfaction of the governor and the people of the state, who he said
are waiting desirously for adequate water supply.
The contractor explained that the company is presently working on the
mechanical aspect of the rehabilitation of the pumping machines “that
are completely damaged”, disclosing that the equipment for the
electrical part of the work had been ordered and will soon be
delivered to sites for installation to beat the four months time-lag
for the projects.
“I know that everybody is waiting for us. We are happy to be in a team
that is working for His Excellency, the Rt. Hon. (Dr.) Ifeanyi
Ugwuanyi. His good thinking and measures to give the people of Enugu
good water are outstanding, and I know this time around he is going to
be satisfied and Enugu people will be satisfied too.
“Majority of the work we are doing right now is mechanical because the
engines are bad, the electrical parts which we have ordered, very soon
will be coming in for the installation of the control panels and we
start pumping. As stipulated in the contract papers we will not
default”, the contractor assured.
