The Osun State Government says it will spend N13.7 billion on the provision of potable water in the state this year.

Olugbenga Owojuyigbe, the General Manager of the State Water Corporation, disclosed this during the corporation’s budget defence at the House of Assembly on Tuesday in Osogbo.

Mr. Owojuyigbe also said that the corporation was targeting N450 million as revenue during the year.

He further said the corporation was working hard to ensure that all the dams in the state were in good condition to ensure provision of water to the people of the state.

Mr. Owojuyigbe, however, said that non-payment of water rate by individuals and corporate organisations in the state was affecting the revenue generation drive of the agency.

According to him, the agency is also being owed more than N200 million by consumers in the state.

In his remarks, Kamil Oyedele, the House Committee Chairman on Finance and Appropriation, directed the General Manager to submit the lists of individuals and corporate organisations indebted to the corporation to the assembly.

Mr. Oyedele said that necessary steps would be taken by the Assembly to recover all the debts.

The lawmaker urged the corporation to ensure adequate water supply in the state, noting that water is necessary for human survival.

The State Ministry of Works and Transport also presented a budget estimate of N15.9 billion for 2018.

The Commissioner for Works and Transport, Kazeem Salami, while presenting the budget, said that the ministry was targeting N28 billion as revenue and N15 billion for capital expenditure.

(NAN)