The Minister of Water Resources, Sarah Ochekpe, said on Monday that it will be impossible to have free potable water in Nigeria.

Speaking at the Ministerial platform in Abuja, Mrs. Ochekpe said it will not be possible to have potable water due to the cost of distribution and maintenance of equipment

“It is not possible for water to be free, because water is so expensive to process, there’s the use of reservoir, building treatment plants, chemicals, payment of professionals and also channeling water to homes; all these cost money,” Mrs. Ochekpe said

The minister also spoke on the river basins in various parts of Nigeria. She said they cannot be privatised because the lands do not belong to the Federal Government and cannot be taken away from the farmers. The federal government can only partner with private professionals to bring their expertise to strengthen the skills of the local farmers on irrigation, she said.

Mrs. Ochekpe said the government has done more in the past three years than in previous years in the use of irrigation to increase food production and enhance food security; and also completed nine additional dams in the country.

The minister also said that provision of water supply to rural and municipal areas is not a federal responsibility but that of states and local governments. She said the Federal Government has strengthened its relationship with states and local governments in water provision. She also discouraged the drilling of water boreholes by individuals to avoid sinking of the earth’s surface while she advised individuals to seek recommendations from drilling regulators before any water borehole drilling.

Mrs. Ochekpe identified challenges of her ministry as low budget, inadequate and untimely release of budget, and security challenges.

http://premiumtimesng.com/news/138966-nigerians-cant-have-free-potable-water-minister.html

Is potable water "free" anywhere? It is a very expensive endeavor. Unless you have a private well, which is also a big expense initially, potable water can not be free. She is right. Who will pay for it?

Nigeria can have free or cheap portable water at minimum expence to the national purse. Not everybody should have access to free or subsidized water. The rich and middle income people should pay full price. It is a government's responsibility to uphold the human rights of its citizens. Nigeria is not doing that. Everything does not have to cost us billions of petrodollars. What happened to improvisation. Nigerian state is impoverishing her citizens. The Nigerian state has occupied indegenous resources, making the resources only available to people who have dollars. Nigeria should provide easy access to her resources; to its own citizens at subdisized rates. That is the only way to develope a people whilst developing a country. Access to clean water is a human right!

I agree that it is the responsibility of government to uphold human rights, but you still did not address where the money would come from. Simply making the rich pay more is not likely to amass enough revue to ally the cost of production. The government can certainly subsidize a portion of this, but if you want anyone to listen to you, you must have a plan to make your suggestion feasible. Simply saying, "this is what they should do" and not presenting a plan to make it happen, will not produce results. Where will the money come from? Yes the government should help those who can not afford it, but simply stating that will not make it happen. What is your plan?

Shes right.

Everything cannot be free. Someone has to pay a token to compliment the effort of the government..

Our past leaders destroyed these country with free things.. When you give people things for free.. they'll never know the worth and such things don't last. Free projects always lack proper maintenance in Nigeria..

Even those apointed to maintain free projects do not take their work serious because its free.

If Fashola could ask us to pay for the road he constructed with our money before we walk on these roads...then there is nothing wrong in paying a token for the water we drink/use everyday

The only reason why pure water business is growing rapidly is cos we pay before we drink!


We try to justify FREE FREE things because of the poor, and the more we provide free things, the poor becomes even poorer cos they no longer see any reason to work!

Imagine a dad who sent his 9 children to government schools for free.. the childen get to school in free uniforms & free books to eat free food and then come back home to meet their father sleeping and snoring on bed...


"We cannot eradicate poverty by providing free things"
- Acidosis

Eradicate idleness, joblessness & corruption; and poverty shall be nowhere close to the citizens!

No Nigerian is asking for free potable water, but the government should provide potable water first before they start talking of the cost.

234GT: No Nigerian is asking for free potable water, but the government should provide potable water first before they start talking of the cost.

I say again: HOW? Back this statement up with a plausible plan please.

texanomaly:
I say again: HOW? Back this statement up with a plausible plan please.

how was it done in the 70s and 80s?

kunlekunle:

how was it done in the 70s and 80s?

Where exactly had free portable water in the 70s and 80s? Which year did this free water stop? And which countries provide free portable water for her citizens? I will like to learn...

No Money To Make It Cheap For Us?? SMH!!

Someone said we should provide a plan. How about the government stops all the wastages they accrue to themselves by contracting everything to foreigners. How are about the government employs a technically inclined person to design and plan the mass building of local and cheap water infrastructure. The chief reason everything is expensive in Nigeria is because of corruption and inefficient contract design and awarding procedures. That is why building a kilometer road is more expensive in Nigeria than anywhere else, even though labour is cheaper and machinery costs the same. If we get leaders with initiative, you will see that even communities can volunteer to construct things. Their is no reason why we shouldn't get Nigerian raw materials at subsidised rates, for vital industries like steel and cement. We are being governed by morons and wicked people. I will wait and see if this government would do the right thing.

Ptimes: The Minister of Water Resources, Sarah Ochekpe, said on Monday that it will be impossible to have free potable water in Nigeria.
Speaking at the Ministerial platform in Abuja, Mrs. Ochekpe said it will not be possible to have potable water due to the cost of distribution and maintenance of equipment
“It is not possible for water to be free, because water is so expensive to process, there’s the use of reservoir, building treatment plants, chemicals, payment of professionals and also channeling water to homes; all these cost money,” Mrs. Ochekpe said.

Read details here:==> http://premiumtimesng.com/news/138966-nigerians-cant-have-free-potable-water-minister.html

Nobody is paying for free water.
Provide the water and people will buy.

Water and sanitation services, must be affordable for all.

Oh! Was this not the same woman who said that people should henceforth pay money and seek approval before they can sink personal bore-holes in their compounds?

I think she's been inhumane here. And what will become of those in the arid areas?

Y'all shouting it's not possible, should proffer/suggest simple and harmless possible alternatives to provide water for us...

And who told you Nigerians don't pay for water? The last time I checked, my compound paid #600 late last month for water bill.

What makes you think it's impossible to distribute water to all streets? What happened to efforts from states and local governments?

We have rivers niger and benue to our advantage, we have undulating and gentle high lands to help pressurize the water to aid distributions.

Abeg make una shut up.

Mods why is this not on the front page yet?

We don't need pessimist like her at the helm of affairs.

PLS VOTE BUHARI SO WE CAN GET RID OF ILLITERATE MINISTERS LIKE DIS

Dirty water and poor sanitation are the second biggest killer of children. Millions of people don't have access to clean water and adequate sanitation facilities and usually it is the women and children who spend hours carrying buckets of water used for daily drinking, cooking and washing. The Government have the principal responsibility to tackle these issues.

Even in well developed Europe, potable water is not free. But, it is cheap and available to everyone. For instance, 1000 litres (one cubic meter) costs me just over 100 naira (equivalent) back at home.

She may be right but...

It's tough to accept what these people say (no matter how correct) as long as they leave work with multiple ghana-must-go bags everyday.

Free portable water is indeed a fantasy but available and affordable portable water should be a reality. There is nothing overly complex about this technology. We need government to do their thing and citizens to cooperate too.

who is this clown?

Even Freedom is not Free

I cannot believe that Minister of Water Resources, Sarah Ochekpe, said that it will be impossible to have free potable water in Nigeria. It's impossible to have portable water in Nigeria because we have full time imbeciles whose stock in trade is looting. America is large, there is portable water in every home, yet a minister says its impossible to have the same in Nigeria. Where are they from? We all know the consequences of sinking boreholes but in d absence of portable water what do we do? Urine therapy? Why can't they give hope? How can utilities taken for granted in other nations become impossibilities in Nigeria? Electricity is a Herculean task, water is impossible. As portable water is impossible in Nigeria & boreholes are not good 4 ecological reasons, if we manage urine therapy, how about cooking etc

^^^^
There cannot be free water supply. Because processing and handling of water cost money.

The state governments are failing in their responsibility in providing constant supply of water.

But most nigerians don't like to pay for water supply to their homes (water bill).

Of course we have to pay for it.

The minister also said that provision of water supply to rural and municipal areas is not a federal responsibility but that of states and local governments. She said the Federal Government has strengthened its relationship with states and local governments in water provision. She also discouraged the drilling of water boreholes by individuals to avoid sinking of the earth’s surface while she advised individuals to seek recommendations from drilling regulators before any water borehole drilling.

The federal ministry of water resources suppose to be merged with another ministry.

What a shame..

David Mark once said Cellphones are not for the poor

What's the context of this statement because Nigerians have always paid for water from public taps. I am also not aware that anybody as been canvassing that public water should be free. provide the water and people will pay for it. It is agains this background that the Minister's statement may appear needless or silly.

In any case, the Federal Government and all the state governments have failed Nigerians in the provision of potable water hence the resort to digging of wells, sinking of boreholes, drinking from streams and rivers and building water reservoirs.

This has made cost of living more expensive and increased outbreak of diseases in addition to making life generally more difficult.

Shame on all layers of government that after 14 years of democracy, Nigerians don't have access to clean water.

Then the post of water minister should be scrapped. Why can't we ask the family feeding of 1billion naira a year to sacrifice the money for the project. Water is free in Libya, Saudi because they also have oyel like us.

Goodluck don give una Free fresh air, una still want free portable water??

Greedy bunch of morons

Pukkah: What's the context of this statement because Nigerians have always paid for water from public taps. I am also not aware that anybody as been canvassing that public water should be free. provide the water and people will pay for it. It is agains this background that the Minister's statement may appear needless or silly.

In any case, the Federal Government and all the state governments have failed Nigerians in the provision of potable water hence the resort to digging of wells, sinking of boreholes, drinking from streams and rivers and building water reservoirs.

This has made cost of living more expensive and increased outbreak of diseases in addition to making life generally more difficult.

Shame on all layers of government that after 14 years of democracy, Nigerians don't have access to clean water.

No u don't get it, they want us to pay first before embarking on the project. Yet Water Corporation people sell water to homes and people reselling water.