Minister of Water Resources, Mr Suleiman Adamu on Friday accused State Governments of abandoning the provision of water and entrusting such responsibility on the Federal Government.
Adamu made this accusation at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja.
“What I have realized is that in the past 10 or so years, many states, unfortunately, have abdicated their responsibility, they are not investing in water and sanitation”.
He said that many state governments were not investing in the project and had abandoned their responsibility for the Federal Government.
“It is not the role of the Federal Government to provide water. The role of the ministry is to provide bulk water and manage the water resources of this country. Whatever we are doing is just an intervention to complement the efforts of the states. “The primary responsibility for water supply rest with the states and that is why this ministry does not run Water Corporation.
He said it is only the FCT, which is a territorial administration in Abuja that runs a water board. FCT is a territory, so it is like a state. So that needs to be made clear, so whatever we are doing is just an intervention to complement the efforts of the states.
Adamu said that the Federal Government brought the concept of Partnership for Expanded Water Supply, Sanitation & Hygiene (PEWASH) as a way of making state governments invest in water and sanitation.
The minister stressed the fact that the state governors and local governments needed to invest in WASH and make it a priority.
[NAN]
