The new Chairman of the Nigerian Institution of Water Engineers (NIWE), Abuja Chapter, Marvin Agwoko, on Thursday promised to support the government in tackling water and sanitation challenges through innovations.
Agwoko told the News Agency of Nigeria, in Abuja shortly after his inauguration that his administration would work closely with agencies of the government to address the problem of water.
“I feel very privileged to be chosen as the Chairman of NIWE, Abuja Chapter. There are many water-related issues in Abuja and Nigeria as a whole, one of which is the indiscriminate sinking of boreholes within the Federal Capital Territory.
“As the new Chairman of NIWE, we will come up with effective innovation to support the government in ensuring that people enjoy water and sanitation facilities,” Agwoko said.
The immediate past Chairman, Mr Douglas Oloton, said piloting the affairs of the association was not easy.
“But we thank God that the association is growing stronger and stronger. We are setting pace and we are getting bigger by God’s grace.
“Funding is a challenge. Getting sponsors is not easy. Our dues are not enough, but thank God we have people partnering with us.
“On flooding, if citizens do the right thing, we will help the government to address flooding in this country. People build on water ways and block drainages and as such we experience flood,’’ he said.
Oloton, however, said that the association would keep talking to the authority to instill what needs to be done so that water could have its natural way and flooding could be reduced drastically.
“Citizens need to conduct themselves in a proper manner and be disciplined and it will help our country.
“I am charging the new exco to take this association to a greater level and we will continue to give them our ideas to enable them to achieve the great heights that we all desire,” Oloton said.