The people of Ilesa, the hometown of the Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, went into a wild jubilation on Monday as the governor inaugurated the construction of a N48.73billion water supply and sanitation project in the town.
Speaking at the inauguration in Ilesa, Governor Aregbesola described the construction of transmission mains and booster pumping station and construction of three 10,000 cubic meter concrete reservoirs as “the singular biggest project in the state since its creation.”
Aregbesola said the state had secured an interest-free grant of N23billion from the Islamic Development Bank to finance the project while the Federal Government had already spent N8.7billion on the water project dam located in Kajola.
The governor, who had turned sod at the three concrete reservoir tanks located at Oke-Opo, Oke Agereand Olorunsogo areas of Ilesa, further revealed that the grant got from IDB would be repaid in 25 years with five years’ moratorium.
He then disclosed that the state government needed the sum of N15.31billion to complete the project in the area of water distribution network, stressing that the contractor, Ghamgi, would complete the project by December, 2019.
Governor Aregbesola said that the sum of N57million had been spent on compensation to Ilesa residents, whose lands were affected by the water project.
The governor asked the Paramount ruler of Ijeshaland, Oba Gabriel Aromolaran, Owa Obokun of Ijeshaland, to appeal to a cleric, whose prayer mountain, Christ Apostolic Church Prayer Mountain in Ilesa, was affected by the water project to accept the N3.324million compensation.
Aregbesola said the pastor had rejected the compensation and rained curses on him for allegedly dispossessing him of his land.
The governor, therefore, announced that the rejected compensation sum would be released to the Ilesa monarch in order for the traditional ruler to hand it over to the pastor.
According to him, Ilesa people would have access to 60million cubic litres of water per day after the completion of the project, which would last 50 years.
Aregbesola said, “We have spent N57million for compensation. It remains only one person, which is CAC prayer mountain pastor and the monarch (Oba Aromolaran) will give him N3.424million on our behalf. We are sure that he won’t curse again if the monarch addresses him.
“Three pumps will be located at the booster station at Iloba. Each reservoir has capacity for 10million litres, hence we will have 30million cubic litres per day in the reservoirs.
“It remain distribution network, which is the last phase of the water project, that we are yet to get money for. We have written to the World Bank, the Federal Government and the Islamic Development Bank for loan and we hope we will get assistance.
“For the distribution network, we are going to make it public for people to bid. Whoever wants to channel water for people and sell, would be allowed to run pipes.”
The consultant, Engr. Tawa Williams, said the provision of good water is part of six integral action plan of the Aregbesola government, stressing that the people of Ilesa would have access to water at affordable rates.
For Oba Aromolaran, he was not surprised that Aregbesola was developing Ilesa town since he is one of the indigenes, saying that “the governor is only paying his dues.”
