By Dayo Johnson

AKURE—LEADERS in the Northern Senatorial area of Ondo State, yesterday, said the award of N2.8billion contract for three water dams by the governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko would solve the perennial water problem in the state.

Commending the governor for the gesture, leaders of the party in the Northern senatorial district where the dams are located, Chief Olufemi Adekanmbi and a lawmaker, Abiodun Ogunbi, said the dams when completed, would provide potable water to many parts of the northern senatorial district of the state.

The dams are Awara, Ose/Owo and Ifon, all located in the northern senatorial district of the state.

Commissioner for Works, Mr. Gboye Adegbenro, said the contract for the rehabilitation of Awara dam was awarded for N988.67 million, Ose/Owo N1.3 billion, while the Ifon dam would be rehabilitated with N559 million.

Specifically, Adekanmbi, an indigene of Owo, said the award of the contracts for the rehabilitation of the dams was in line with caring heart posture of the present administration, saying, “we the people of northern senatorial district are grateful to the governor for deeming it fit to rehabilitate the dams that are no longer functioning well. The gesture is highly welcome. The people of Owo are happy because the Ose/Owo dam when completed will go a long way in addressing the perennial water shortage in Owo axis.”

Adekanmbi, a House of Representatives aspirant for Owo/Ose Federal Constituency, lamented that successive governments in the state had neglected the rehabilitation of the dams and urged the state government to also sink boreholes in communities where water pumped from the dams could not reach.

“Water is one of the essential needs of human beings, government must look inward to ensure that adequate water is given to the communities that cannot feel the effect of the dams. This can be addressed through sinking of boreholes, ” he added.

Meanwhile, the Ondo state government has ordered the contractor handling the N14billion Owena Multipurpose dam back to site.

Works Commissioner Gboye Adegbenro, who gave the order, said government would continue with the projects as the last administration had paid the contractor about N4billion of the contract sum.