From Ada Okafor, Enugu
There was clear joy in the faces of Enugu residents at the weekend, as Gov. Ndubuisi Peter Mbah, commissioned the state’s 24/7 Water Scheme at the 9th Mile Corner.
The commissioning marked the fulfillment of the governor’s campaign promises to deliver potable water to pipes in homes and offices in the state capital within 180 days of assuming office.
Recall that the government of Jim Nwobodo commenced that scheme 42 years ago.
It took Mbah’s commitment and resolve to bring it to life by applying the SMART management principle to the government business.
The SMART principle is a mnemonic acronym for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
It is a widely used framework for setting goals and objectives in management, ensuring that they are well-defined, attainable, and aligned with the organisation’s overall strategy.
The commissioning of the new water scheme in Enugu State by Mbah marks a pivotal moment in the state’s history, not only in terms of addressing a critical infrastructure deficit but also as a tangible manifestation of the social contract between the government and its citizens.
The 9th Mile 24/7 Water Scheme will run on power from a 4.4MW gas-powered plant the administration built.
The Enugu State government provided multiple galleries for areas without pipe connections.
Mbah said at the commissioning: “When we communicated this promise, it triggered disbelief in most quarters, which is perhaps understandable.
“After all, Ndi Enugu has seen countless successive but unsuccessful attempts to address this problem.
“Happily for us all, here we are 180 days from that promise, commissioning this new ultra-modern water scheme with a capacity to deliver 70 million litres of potable water daily to businesses and families in Enugu, and this is the first phase.
“In a few weeks, we will commission new pumps in the Oji water scheme to enable us to deliver another 50 million litres of water daily.
“This will give us a total daily delivery of 120 million litres in Enugu, about twice the daily demand of Enugu urban.”
The governor maintained that “pipe-borne water is here to stay” in Enugu.
“It is integral to raising Enugu State’s economy from $.4.4 billion to $30 billion GDP in four to eight years.
“Now, businesses in Enugu can connect to public water and pay monthly water rates like in other advanced environments.
“Those who have invested in water tankers can put them up for sale and free up capital for other uses”.
