STALLED MEGA WATER PROJECT: Bayelsa Govt, SPDC, Gbarain Communities Agree On New Implementation Strategy

The Bayelsa State Government, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) of Nigeria and Gbarain Clan have unanimously agreed on how to implement a potable water project in the area as spelt out in a global memoranda of understanding (GMoU).

The three parties have decided to unbundle the uncompleted Gbarain Mega Water Project, opting for a cluster system in executing the project to provide potable water for all the eleven communities in Gbarain Clan in the Yenagoa Local Government Area of the state.

The consensus was reached at a tripartite meeting involving the state government, representatives of the SPDC, and the leadership of the Gbarain Kingdom led by the Ibenanaowei of Gbarain, His Majesty, King Funpere Akah and his Council of Chiefs, in Government House, Yenagoa, on Monday.

Addressing the meeting, the state Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, said the unbundling of the Gbarain integrated water project initiated by the SPDC into clusters had become necessary considering the quantum of resources and time expended on it.

Pointing out that although the Mega Water Project is one of the projects contained in the global memoranda of understanding (GMoU) between SPDC on the one hand, and government and the Gbarain Clan on the other, he observed that the approach adopted by SPDC for execution had not been helpful.

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Consequently, the Deputy Governor informed that government and the Shell had decided to divide the project into four clusters to cover the eleven benefiting communities to get round the challenges that had stalled the job for several years.

According to him, government’s intention is to see that the job is delivered for the communities to enjoy potable water before the end of the year to checkmate the outbreak of water-borne diseases in the area.

He said, “First of all, we want to thank the Gbaran people for their cooperation and peaceful disposition, and equally encourage you to remain peaceful.

“We have a GMoU with the SPDC to provide basic amenities including the water project for our communities in Gbarain clan. However, the approach used by the SPDC to deliver the project has not been helpful, so we want them to divide the water scheme into four clusters to cover all the eleven communities.

“We need the buy-in of the various communities, because each community will have project committee. There will also be clan project committee and another committee at the state level.

“Our intention is that pipe-borne water should be flowing in our communities before the 31st of December to check the incidents of water-borne diseases.”

Speaking on behalf of the SPDC, Engineer Leo Ezeakor, admitted that the initial strategy for the Gbarain Mega Water Project that relied on a reticulation system to distribute water across all the Gbarain communities from a central point had failed, hence the new cluster approach.

The clusters, according to him, are the Agbia-Nedugo Cluster, the Ogboloma-Ayaama-Okotiama Cluster, the Obunagha-Tunama-Okolobiri-Kumboama Cluster and Koroama-Polaku Cluster.

Engineer Leo Ezeakor, who is the project management lead, gave December this year as the new timeline for completion of the water project, which will be solar-powered with backup generators.

Speaking on behalf of the clan, the Ibenanaowei of Gbarain Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, King Funpere Akah, expressed delight and the clan’s acceptance of the decision to decentralize the water project into clusters.

The Gbarain monarch, however, called on SPDC to engage only credible contractors to handle the project to avoid the pitfalls of the past and meet the new completion timeline without fail.

Meanwhile, a state steering committee to oversee the project, which has the Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo as Chairman has been constituted.

Its members are the Member representing Yenagoa Constituency Two in the Bayelsa State House of Assembly,, the Commissioner for Labour and Productivity, the Commissioner for Mineral Resources, and the Vice Chairman of Yenagoa Local Government Area.

Other members include the BoT Chairman of Host Communities Development Trust for Gbarain/Ekpetiama Cluster; the SPDC Government Community Relations Manager, the Ibenanaowei of Gbarain Kingdom and four paramount rulers one from each of the four clusters created for the water project execution.

The Committee is to meet every last Friday of the month.