The Association of Waterwell Drilling Rig Owners and Practitioners (AWDROP) has warned that indiscriminate burials of COVID-19 victims could lead to pollution of the nation’s water resource base, including wells and boreholes.
They also announced their readiness to support the federal government’s efforts at reopening the schools.
The experts spoke to journalists Sunday in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti state, through the association’s President, Mr Micheal Ale.
They said there was a need for schools and other public places to have boreholes so as to make water available for resuming students and many other Nigerians.
While urging the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to support private drilling industry for effective COVID-19 response, the association warned against possible pollution of many boreholes by body fluids of dead people in graveyards.
Ale said the government’s failure to properly regulate the water industry had led to arbitrary building of many boreholes more than enough for the country.
The AWDROP boss revealed that the present COVID-19 pandemic currently bedevilling the world has shown the government must provide running potable water for human wellbeing.
He said the pandemic had further underscored the need by government, corporate and concerned individuals to do more in providing potable water to save human lives.
Ale further said there was an urgent need for the government to regulate the water industry and support private firm’s willing to participate in the industry.
They said the ongoing arbitrary proliferation of boreholes occasioned by non regulation of the system would jeopardise the healthy living of Nigerians.
He said: ”l want everyone to know that Safe water is a resource. That is why there is an establishment of water resources, I want all to understand that God is magnanimous enough to let us have rain free, but he hid a particular resource under the ground.”
According to him, only about 54% of Nigerian population presently had access to potable water while the remaining 46% were at danger of unclean water.
He said: “By 1990, about 25% of Nigerian population had access to pipe borne water supply. And between 1990 to 2015, the population who had access, reduced to 7% considering the fact that population had increased beyond 200million. We also need to consider landmass expansion where green areas are now being populated by buildings.
“So, my assessment is that we are not moving forward and this is corroborated by the World Bank, FG and NIBS. Talking about general supply of potable water, only about 54% of Nigerian population presently can access it and about 46% shortfall is recorded.
“Although, this is increasing through intervention by government, private bodies and other individuals. You can see the volume of underground water supply is more than surface water.
“Now, with the COVID-19 pandemic, it tells us that we need to do more to save lives by having running potable water. We are looking at 100% access by 2030 and it is achievable if we put things right.
“Challenges of inability to provide potable water for the populace are multidimensional and we have to look at the problem from a holistic perspective. The problem is population expansion and inability to control it, because population explosion leads to uncontrolled urbanization.”
“Today, government priority is shifting from water supply unlike the past because they feel we have various means to get water. Government should roll out plans to control urban activities. For example, each house should run a pipe to connect other pipes outside to ease water supply to homes.
“Water is a resource and it needs to be controlled because what is not controlled is not valuable. There is this issue of indiscriminate drilling activities. This can lead to earth tremor, earthquake, building collapse and other environmental hazards.
“In controlling indiscriminate activities, we must be wary of water pollution, especially now that there’s the issue of COVID-19 pandemic. A buried victim, if not properly buried, his or her body fluid can be washed into our well and contaminate them. That’s why most ailments come from lack of hygiene,” Ale explained.
OpenFees knock FG
Meanwhile, OpenFees, an Abuja-based non-governmental organisation with focus on the basic education of indigent students, has said if politicians could hold elections following the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, it should also be possible for final year students to take their exams.
The group asked the federal government and other stakeholders to “stop the politics and take a stand” on the 2020 West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for the sake of students whose future is at stake.
In a statement Sunday, OpenFees said: “Science, technology and rigorous enforcement of hygiene and social distancing rules are already making it possible for schools elsewhere to reopen gradually and there is no reason why we can’t use that here.”
The statement was signed by portfolio coordinator, Stephanie Ronald.
It said: “We are particularly concerned that JSS 3 and SS 3 students in public schools, most of whom have not had significant learning, because of poor access to online resources, would have to wait for another year before taking their final exams.
“If government can invest half the time and resources it wants to use to conduct elections, in spite of COVID-19, to provide a safe environment for students, it should be possible for these final year students to take their exams without too much difficulty.”
It noted that d even though the Ministry of Education issued a statement on Thursday that Nigeria would consult with the four other West African countries in WAEC and possibly hold the examination in September, “there remains a heavy cloud of uncertainty and doubt over the government’s commitment.”
“We note for example,” the statement continued, “that governors of the 19 northern states in Nigeria have yet to officially change their position that WAEC will not hold this year, while governors of the six South-west states have said they will go ahead and all of this is happening at a time when Federal Ministry of Education is supposed to have issued a COVID-19 compliance testing notice to schools.”
The statement said the overriding interest should be the safety and wellbeing of students and that while delay is inevitable, it is possible to learn from and use the experiences of countries where schools are already reopening.
Onyeama test positive
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, has tested positive to coronavirus.
Onyeama announced the news Sunday afternoon via his official twitter handle, @GeoffreyOnyeama.
According to the tweet, Onyeama took his fourth COVID-19 test Saturday, after feeling some signs of throat irritation.
He stated that the result returned positive, and he is now heading for isolation in a health facility, where he will receive treatment.
“Did my fourth COVID-19 test yesterday at the first sign of a throat irritation and unfortunately this time it came back positive. That is life! Win some lose some. Heading for isolation in a health facility and praying for the best,” the minister said in his tweet.
