Water scarcity being experienced in Sokoto State worsened on Sunday with some residents chasing moving water tankers to get supplies.
The News Agency of Nigeria reported that the state water board had not been able to pump water through the pipeline network since contractors stopped supplying expensive diesel.
Therefore, the state water board resorted to distributing water in the state through water tankers.
Residents have been seen chasing after water tankers at Masallacin Shehu, Atiku UbanDoma, Sabon Birni, Aliyu Jodi and Kofar Kade among other residential areas.
Other residents trooped to the state water board headquarters and to water treatment plants on Illela Road to fetch water.
A source at the State Water Board told NAN that aside from the unavailability of diesel, other logistics like debt owed to contractors supplying water treatment chemicals, were challenges being faced.
The source hinted that contractors stopped supply because of unpaid accumulated expenses by the government.
When contacted on the telephone, General Manager, Sokoto State Water Board, Alhaji Isma’ila Umar-Sanda, initially expressed misgivings that journalists were only out to look for negative issues.
He said journalists were not approaching the board on its routine activities until things went bad, stressing that all hitches were temporary as efforts were being made to address them.
He also added that there was no Commissioner for Water Resources in the state.
In a statement issued by the Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs to Governor Aminu Tambuwal, Malam Bello, the governor expressed displeasure at the situation.
The statement read in part, “As Muslims in Sokoto State celebrate Sallah, some residents of the metropolis had to cope with shortage of water supply, a situation which prompted the state government to respond swiftly.
“Only last week, the government gave N114m to the state water board to tackle the issue.
“It is surprising that the problem still persists; hence the governor’s decision that the state government will investigate what went wrong.”
