Enforcement of laws against indiscriminate drilling impeded by corruption

The President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, NSE, Ademola Olorunfemi, on Thursday raised alarm over the indiscriminate drilling of bore-holes in the country.

Mr. Olorunfemi said Nigeria was heading for big trouble if government failed to reverse the trend.

“It is painful that you and I have to provide our basic infrastructure. You want to build a house, you must construct a road to the place, provide the water and generator for light. That of water is so pathetic that a single bore-hole for instance accredited to serve a whole street but 20 houses will have their own bore-holes. We are heading for a big trouble; it could lead to so many things. I am not an expert in that area, but I know that in terms of formation it could lead to some disarrangement under the earth. That is very dangerous,” he said.

He pointed out that there were regulations against the indiscriminate drilling but they were not being enforced because of corruption.

“Government needs to do more about provision of water, otherwise I must have water in my house. And if the public water supply is not getting to me, how do I get water?” he asked.

He said that public water supply should cater for the needs of the people and not allow them starve for water which in turn leads to indiscriminate bore-hole drilling.

He disclosed that the Society of Engineers introduced a monitoring group on agriculture and water to support the government in driving the agriculture and water policies so as to have an improvement.

The president of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, COREN, Kashim Ali, urged governors to provide public water for their citizens. Mr. Ali flayed the attitude of governors who preferred to drill bore-holes and celebrate such acts to providing public water supply.

“The water in the ground is commonwealth like that in the sea, nobody has the right to take it like that, or pollute it, and so there are regulations.  Most of the water from the bore-holes are not even good water to be used as it is from the sewage. Governors are not even interested in public water supply because when they drill a borehole they will be celebrating. Boreholes should not be drilled at this time; we should be doing regional water scheme in the states,” Mr. Ali said.

(NAN)