Our Reporter
Association of Water-Well Drilling Rig Owners and Practitioners (AWDROP) has advised both states and Federal Governments on measures to avert natural disasters in view of the pervading rumour of earth tremor in some South Western parts of the country.
The advice was contained in a press release issued by its National President, Mr. Michael Ale which was made available to news men.
The President said “AWDROP overheard the earth tremor in Saki and hereby sound the warning to the national Government to address the situation professionally. Issue, if not well managed may eventually lead to natural disasters such as earthquake”
“AWDROP is informed of the salt water intrusion affecting underground water usage and subsistence along the land-ocean boundaries in shoreline areas like Lagos, PortHarcourt, Warri, Bayelsa and Cross Rivers State of Nigeria,” he said.
Ale said that his Association sympathized with many states of the North East of the country particularly Borno and Yobe, where getting potable water for the dwellers has been an herculean task especially States because of the current insurgencies and lack of requisite
equipment and to technology to deliver good water supply in the region.
He faulted the indiscriminate drilling practice persistence and the industry and being turned into an all comers affairs adding “AWDROP is set to enforce the power vested on the Association by the National Council of Water Resources to partner with state governments on the rejuvenation and revitalisation of abandoned bore hole and the application and enforcement of code of practice on bore hole drilling among drilling practitioners”
He, however regretted that many borehole projects do not last more than a year after commissioning because they are not designed to meet with the current standards and adaptive nature of the needs of the beneficiary communities, adding “this Water project is abandoned and money is lost, while labour and time is wasted along the line of project execution.
He condemned the poor budgetary allocations to water ministry pointing out that it was against “the demands of President’s vision to encourage Nigerians to move away from oil to agricultural practice especially all seasons farming practice whose major concentration is on underground water”.
Ale commended the administrative style of the Minister of Water Resources , Engr. Suleiman Adamu stressing “AWDROP is much impressed on his achievement especially on his strategy to reposition the River Basins and Departments within the Ministry of water resources.
