By Chioma Obinna

In effort to meet the challenges of acute water shortage in the com munity, Rotary Club of Ikoyi- Metro, District 9110 Nigeria last week commissioned boreholes for residents of Odogunyan community in Ikorodu Local Government Area of Lagos.

Many Nigerians, particularly, those in the rural communities such as Odogunyan have no access to safe water. Those who cannot afford the price of water vendors rely on them for their water needs while those who choice than to fetch from the shallow well thereby exposing themselves to all kinds of waterborne diseases.

Speaking at the commissioning and official handover of the borehole and 2.5 horse power generator to the community, President of the Club, Mr Emeka Onotiwakpor who lamented the difficulties people go through as a result of water called on Nigerian government to urgently embark on smaller water projects in all the communities across the country with a view to ending the problem of shortage of safe water.

Onotiwakpor opined that smaller water projects would not only save the government from incurring huge cost but ensure adequate access to safe water in the country.

His words: “The motivation to donate these boreholes was borne out of the fact that most communities are hit by lack of access to drinking water. We decided to come all the way from Ikoyi to Ikorodu because we wanted to site the projects where it could be used.”

He stated that already, the Club has formed a Rotary Community Corp. in the community to monitor and maintain the project to ensure that residents have free access to steady water supply. “We have given specific information that the water should not be sold. We will be coming in periodically to check if there is any major maintenance on the generator and the borehole. One of the requirements in Rotary is that every project sited in any area must be sustainable.”

Responding, the Baale of the community, Chief Adeyiga Awolola who spoke through his son, Mr. Taiwo Adeyiga observed that the situation of water in the area before now was critical as 20 litres of water cost N20.00 and one bucket N10 in the area.

Adeyiga who noted that the problem has been solved with the projects in place further pledged that the community would do all it takes to protect the project from vandalisation.