World Water Day: Obasanjo warns Ogun govt over incessant digging of boreholes in Abeokuta

 

Former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo, warned against the consequences of water borehole drilling at various homes in Ogun State, especially in Abeokuta, the state capital.

According to the former Nigerian leader, the repercussions of such unregulated practices could be devastating.

Obasanjo, who issued the warning while receiving the management and staff of the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority (O-ORDA), led by the Managing Director, Adedeji Ashiru, on the occasion of the World Water Day, described the incessant construction of boreholes in the state as alarming.

The former president attributed the ugly failure of subsequent administrations to sustain the Oyan Dam project embarked on by his military administration in 1977.

He added that the digging of boreholes everywhere to source for water comes with repercussions which could be devastating.

According to him, the Oyan Dam was created to generate power and water for the residents of Ogun and Lagos State.

Obasanjo, however, said the vision was abandoned 48 years after and it has not lived up to the reasons why it was constructed.

“Oyan Dam was built to supply water for Abeokuta and Lagos but it has been neglected and ignored just like the turbine for the power supply.

“The water supply is not there for Abeokuta and we have rather continued to dig holes everywhere causing the water level to go down and down, that will have repercussions in the future, how long we shall have it I dont know but the geologist can do there job and tell us how fast that repercussions will come.”

“We can not deemphasised the importance or usefulness of water to human life and this why we do say water has no enemy.

“This was why as Military Head of State in 1977 I realised that strategic water management must be part of our food sufficiency drives and food security and we created 11 River Basin including the Lake Chad.

“And what are we trying to achieve, if we have to only depend on rain fed agriculture, we shall definitely not get it right. Rain may come too early or too late, there may be droughts or flood all of which have telling effect on food production and security.

“So the first thing to do as part of measure designed to achieve food security is effective management of water for agriculture. All of the river basins therefore have facilities for irrigation to ensure all year round farming,” the ex-president added

He also called for the elimination of wastages in water resources stressing that it would be impossible to achieve food sufficiency and security without effective water management.