Date: 2010-10-11

As Governor Bukola Saraki of Kwara State Commissioned the Multi-million Naira Earth Dam, with the capacity of 5 million gallons of water per-day in Erin-Ile Oyun local government area, he has expressed joy and fulfillments for the completion of the Asa Dam rehabilitation, expansion and reticulation of the water pipes in Ilorin metropolis. 
 
Also, he has equally charged the people of Erin-Ile community to accord the project priority attention in the provision of adequate security against vandalization. 
 
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, the State Governor, Dr Bukola Saraki enjoined the people of the community to utilize the project maximally to justify the huge investment government had expended on the water project. 
 
He praised the Erin-Ile monarch, Oba AbdulGaniyu Ajibola's untiring efforts at ensuring the completion of the project, saying that he had gingered him to ensure that the project was not abandoned after the first attempt failed. 
 
The water project, Dr Saraki said, had been his wish to get completed all these while in view of the hardship being encountered by Erin-Ile people in search of potable water supply for about 10-15 years. Thus, the commitment of the state government to the project. 
 
The governor, who made reference to a number of projects being embarked upon in the community by the State government, ranging from road construction, hospital, schools rehabilitation water, construction of more courtrooms among others, urged the people to reciprocate by giving their maximum support to his administration. 
 
Speaking with journalists shortly after the commissioning ceremony, Dr Saraki expressed satisfaction with the completion of the phase one of the reticulation project in Ilorin metropolis, saying that water supply has now been restored in every home, which he described as a great achievement. 
 
He recalled his commitment to the people of the State in 2003 on the issue of electricity and water supply, pointing out that they are key issues in the metropolis which had remained a big problem prior to his administration. 
 
His words; We did rehabilitation, we did expansion and now we are doing reticulation. For quite over 20 years, residents are now turning taps in their homes to get water. This is a great achievement that would transform the lives of our people. 
 
Governance he said is not by chance. It entails that you have to plan, be result-oriented and be focused, noting that resources are inadequate to be able to do everything. 
 
Dr Saraki, however, expressed delight that his administration in seven years has been able to address these key issues, wondering that this same money could have gone into big projects of no significant value to our people. 
 
By the time we finish in 2011, we would be able to say that we have addressed some of the key projects that people have wished for. Whether you talk of Education, the Kwara State University that people have wished for is a reality, Ilorin metropolis water that was a problem is a reality, the issue of electricity is a reality and I can go on like that. 
 
These are landmark achievements that nobody can wish away. These are things that people can see, touch and feel the difference of governor Bukola Saraki's administration to the entire people of Kwara State, the governor said. 
 
He also assured that the in-coming administration would sustain all the laudable projects embarked upon by his administration to ensure continuity. 
 
In his keynote address, the supervisory Commissioner for Water Resources, Dr Abubakar Kannike had expressed appreciation to Governor Saraki for his keen interest in the project in spite of the initial difficulties encountered and the Elerin for his doggedness on the project.
 
 
Masud Adebimpe
Chief Press Secretary to the Kwara State Governor
11/10/2010