Zamfara State Government and Ministry for Water Resources will partner in the development of irrigation, water supply and sanitation in the state.
This was an agreement reached when Governor Bello Mohammed (Matawallen Maradun) paid an official visit to the Minister for Water Resources, Alhaji Sulaiman Adamu (Dan Madamin Kazaure) in his office today.
Governor Matawalle told the Minister of the efforts his administration is doing to address the irrigation and water supply system in the state but needs the assistance of the Federal Government.
Governor Matawalle made a case for Bakalori dam and water supply system in the the state. He told the Minister that his, administration is building four earth dams in the state especially to domesticate headers and repentant bandits in form of Rugga system.
“My administration is building the Rugga system to complement the efforts of the Federal Government in addressing the age long farmer/harder clashes across the country”, Governor Matawalle told the Minister.
He also promised to address the sanitation problems across the state especially open defacation which the state Government is now a, signitory to its elimination in Nigeria.
Governor Matawalle said his administration has ordered for the construction of toilets in all schools across the state and promised to embark on behavioural change amongst the population in the state.
Responding, the Minister said that President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration is intending to develop six mini-hydro power stations of which one might be sited at Bakalori dam. He said the Ministry will assist in saving the water content of the dam.
He however, said that he was more exited about the fight against open defacation especially now that India, number one on the World list, has vacated the position for Nigeria. He said that Nigeria must learn from India and eliminate the bad habit in the next five years.
“India topped the list in the World rating in open defacation . But it has now vacated the position for Nigeria. We are now top on the list. India built 90million toilets in five years and have stopped 550 million people from open defacation in the last five years”, the Minister observed.
He also said that his Ministry develops partnership where its projects will be complemented by the state Government with counterpart funding, a situation that will address much of the state’s water demands of who h Governor Matawalle promised to extend the cooperation of his administration.
