Plateau communities to get hand pump boreholes

The Plateau Government of Nigeria is constructing 300 hand pump boreholes in some communities of Shendam and Riyom Local Government Areas of the state, an official said on Tuesday May 9, 2017.

Dr Ezekiel Pam, the Permanent Secretary, state’s Ministry of Water Resources and Energy, made the disclosure in Jos when Mr Henry Yunkwap, Majority Leader, State House of Assembly visited the ministry.

‘‘It is in this guise that in collaboration with EU and UNICEF, we are constructing 300 hand pump boreholes in Shendam and Riyom Local Governments Areas, and over 200 have been completed and put to use.

‘‘It is our prayer that we shall extend this gesture to other communities, because we desire to make the rural people enjoy the amenities available in the urban centres,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Yunkwap represents Shendam Constituency at the House of Assembly.

The permanent secretary said the boreholes were constructed with the support of the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

He explained that over 200 of the boreholes were completed, and assured that the remaining 100 boreholes would be completed soon.

‘‘It is our desire as a ministry that every community in the state is reached with potable water, a very essential commodity of life.’’

Pam also assured that efforts had been intensified to ensure that rural communities in the state got electricity.

Earlier, the Majority Leader said his visit was to commend the ministry on the good works it had been doing in reaching out to rural communities and to spur them to do more.

Yunkwap called on the ministry to revitalise the abandoned Shendam Dam, saying it would go a long way to solve the lingering water problem in the locality.