The Executive Director of the North Central Development Commission (NCDC), Project, Princess Atika Mamman-Ajanah has said that process is at an advance stage for the commencement of solar powered public pipe borne water across the five Local Government Areas of Ebira land in Kogi Central Senatorial District.
This is coming after over 50 years of complete absence of potable water in the whole of the Senatorial District, which was the second in Northern Nigeria to enjoy water in the 30’s.
Princess Atika dropped the hint of the good news yesterday, September 24 when she received in audience in her Abuja office, leaders of De Noble Club 10 Kogi Central, who took the cry of the people to her.
The NCDC Executive Director assured them that very soon, the solar powered public pipe borne water would start in the Senatorial District, adding that it is a short term measure to ease the long suffering of the people.
She said that the long term solution is also in the process, saying that the rehabilitation of Osara Dam which is the long term measure, would soon be reflected in the federal budget.
Princess Atika said that when the Osara Dam is rehabilitated, the people of the Senatorial District would have more than enough potable water to fall back on.
She narrated the efforts she had been making since she found herself in public offices, starting from when she was with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, to her days as Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari, to bring potable water to her people but that all such efforts failed.
She said that with her in the Commission,her dream of providing water for her people would soon be realized.
Princess Atika regretted that some political miscalculation led to losing the benefits of the Federal budget allocation to the rehabilitation of Osara Dam in 2024, but that it did not discourage her from being focused on her main target.
She announced also that efforts are at advance stages to establish skill acquisition educational institutions to absorb hundreds of youth, for them to be self-productive in the face of dwindling government jobs.
Earlier, the first President of De Noble Club 10, Kogi Central, formed in 1976, Engineer Shuaibu O. Salami, had pleaded with Princess Atika to use her good offices to save the people of the Senatorial District from years of neglect in the area of potable water, “as the legacy you should leave behind.”
The leadership of De Noble Club 10 Kogi Central that were received by Princess Atika comprised past Presidents: Engineer Shuaibu O. Salami, Prince Emmanuel Otu Adeku Omadivi, Alhaji Kashim Merezu Ojirobe, Alhaji Saidu Yusuf, Alhaji Abdulrazak Onivehu Leramoh, the current Vice President, Yusuf Ozi-Usman, nipr and Alhaji Yakubu Lawal.
