Over five billion naira has so far been spent on the construction of water projects in various locations in Bayelsa State since the commencement of the present administration. Governor Timipre Sylva made this known in Yenagoa at a joint news briefing with the visiting Minister of Water Resources, Chief Obadiah Ando, after an inspection tour of water projects in the state.

 The Minister  was in Bayelsa State in continuation of his tour of states to get first hand information on on-going and abandoned water projects, and seek area of collaboration with state governments in the provision of potable water for all.

  The team from both the Federal Ministry of Water resources and the Commissioner in charge of the Ministry in the state.

  Mr.Kurokegha Francis with the Minister and Governor Timipre Sylva,visited the main water works in Yenagoa,water project in Otuoke and the Oloibiri regional project in Otuabagi, Ogbia local government area.

   The General Manager of the state water Board. Mr.Cornelius Ala,was on ground to brief the team on the state of the facilities, most of which require expansion to be able to serve more people.

     Mr. Ala, told the team that ground water remained the best source for water as it required minimal cost to clean the iron contents rather than the use of surface water, for which the treatment of various contaminants would not be cost effective.

     Briefing newsmen, Governor  Sylva, said the five billion naira investments in water projects covered the on-going two regional projects in Otuabagi and Nembe which cost about three billion naira out of the six regional ones and thirteen other water schemes across the state.

    “I hear a group saying that we have paid fully for the Oloibiri regional water project, and that it has been abandoned. The cost of that project is N1.8 billion and the job is about seventy per cent completed.

   “About N1.4 billion had been paid to the contractor who is also handling the one in Nembe.The contractor is asking for variation again but we said no,” Sylva stated.

    According to him,”

 “This administration takes the issue of water seriously.Water is life. We didn’t want to do small small project,we had to map the state into six zones with regional schemes out of which the Otuabagi and Nembe had commenced”.

   The Governor, who thanked the Minister for the collaboration, said water reticulation within the state was a difficult one and that the government was doing its best to make potable available to the people.

    Chief Sylva expressed confidence in the ability of the present administration at the federal level to deliver water to every nooks and cranny of the country.

    Also speaking, the Minister of Water Resources,  said the Federal Government was committed to carrying out quick impact projects by resurrecting abandoned water projects all over the country.

    “ Our administration is not that that will abandone projects, we are resurrecting abandoned projects and carrying on with them to make quick impact on the lives of the people at the rural areas. I am moving from state to state to take stock for now”.  Ando said.

   Chief Ando, said the Federal Government would reach an agreement with the Bayelsa  State government to make the people have access to water and urged the beneficiaries to cultivate the attitude of maintenance of facilities in their area.