By Thompson ABISOLA
The Minister of Water Resources, Mr Suleiman Adamu has urged borehole drillers to adopt the National Drilling Code of Practice to eliminate indiscriminate drilling of boreholes in Nigeria.
Adamu, who made the call at the opening of the 2nd National Borehole Masters Drillers’ Conference in Abuja, said that borehole drilling system must not be an all-comers affair.
The conference, organised by the Association of Water Well Drilling Rig Owners and Practitioners (AWDROP), has the theme: ‘Borehole Drilling: Its Social, Economic and Environmental Effect in our Fragile Environment’’.
He attributed the collapse of most water infrastructures, a year after construction to quackery that had persisted in the profession.
He stressed the need to conserve the underground water resources to promote efficiency and availability of water for future purposes.
He said that this measure would go a long way to ensure sustainable delivery of sufficient and potable water for all Nigerians.
“Borehole proliferation is a concern and we understand that there is a high demand for adequate water.
“Since access to surface water is an issue, we can’t stop drilling ground water because surface water is not enough.
“We must think about conservation, it is however important that we do it sensibly.
“Drilling activities have been hijacked by quacks, it’s an all-comers affair, we need to start emphasising that regulation is key, all borehole practitioners must get their permits to protect our groundwater sources.’’
Adamu said that although state governments had made huge investments in water infrastructure, it was however saddening that access to potable water to these states remained a mirage.
He noted that it was not the duty of the Federal Government to provide potable water for Nigerians, but for the state governments to reticulate such water from the dams already provided by the Federal Government.
On salt water intrusion in parts of the country, the minister said this issue had been affecting water quality, with attendant effects on the populace and called for stakeholders’ collaborations to monitor water quality in the country.
“We are having reports about salt water intrusion in Benin, Edo state, this has affected Water Quality in Benin.
“As we all know, poor water consumption has been known to be the leading cause of water-borne diseases.’’
The minister expressed optimism that when the National Water Resources Bill was passed, it would be for the overall benefit of Nigerians, saying it should not be politicised.
He noted that the House of Representatives had passed the bill early in 2018, and was waiting for the Senate to do same, urging Nigerians to disregard misleading allegations, which were evident from the various commentaries noticed from those opposing the bill.
“The bill, if passed, will address the challenges in the water sector, that is why we are calling for it to be passed soonest, and assented to by the president.’’
The Department of Geology, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife,Prof. Adekunle Adepelumi, also expressed concern over poor funding of the water sector, calling for monitoring equipment to check ground abnormalities.
He dismissed the belief in certain quarters that the recent Abuja tremors were caused by borehole drilling or rock blasting from quarry, saying they were natural occurrences.
Adepelumi also urged stakeholders’ collaborations to protect the water sources against water-related illnesses or diseases.
The AWDROP President, Mr Micheal Ale, said that the partnership with the Ministry of Water Resources was critical to regulation of drilling practice in the country and to guard the ground water resources effectively.
He noted that seven drilling rigs had been acquired with support from the Ministry of Agriculture to help in increasing access to potable water and implementation of effective regulations of water resources in Nigeria.
Acting Executive Director, Nigeria Integrated Water Resources Management Commission (NIWRMC), Mr Peter Onoja, said the commission was working with other stakeholders to enforce standard for water resources management in Nigeria.
He said the collaboration would protect water sources, ensure water availability and its conservation for future purposes.
While calling for speedy passage of the Water Resources Bill before the National Assembly, Onoja said this would help the commission in actualising its vision and discharge its mission.
