The Imo state governor, Emeka Ihedioha, on Sunday, said that the United Nations Agency for International Development, USAID, was in the state, to assess the extent his government was supplying water to the citizens.

Ihedioha through his Special Adviser on Public Enlightenment, Eze Ugochukwu, told Vanguard in Owerri, that USAID, was moved having seen that successful efforts were made that saw the supply of water to some homes within the Owerri metropolis.

This is coming eight years after it was said that the Imo state water corporation board was abandoned. According to Ugochukwu, that hope has risen following the commitment of N49 million by governor Emeka Ihedioha’s administration towards the rehabilitation of the water board so as to supply water to Owerri and it’s eviron.

He said: “They visited Imo state because they initial agreement was that Imo state government must revilitaize the water to a certain functional level before they will bring in their money and that is why His Excellency, Emeka Ihedioha, committed N49 million to Imo water corporation to get the water out pumping.

“Remember last week, we were able to start pumping water that was flowing and rushing out from some of the busted pipes. And now, when USAID, visited Imo state, they saw that there is an existing water corporation and now they have made their assessment and they have gone back, because they could not have come in a vacum.”

He continued: “Also, we have to distill the Nworie river, from the point of taking the water and to do some work at the Otammiri bridge head.

“The thing there is that we were able to get a machine to pump the water and water start gushing in some locations for them to come and see and we took them round to know that it is at a level they can asses.”

Recalled, the USAID evaluation team visited Imo State from 5th to 7th August 2019, to evaluate the level of compliance of the State to the Emergency Action Plan ,EAP, by the Imo State Government.

“The 3-man evaluation team included the Deputy Chief of Party; Robert Hanjahanja, USAID/E-WASH Program; Mrs Bukola, Monitoring Evaluation and Learning Advisor; Mr. Hassan Kida.” (Sunday Vanguard)

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