By Ragan M. Conteh
Members of the Parliamentary Committee on Water Resources in Parliament, especially the Chairman, Hon. Lahai Marah representing Constituency 042, has authorized the new Minister of Water Resources and officials of Guma Valley to present to the Committee the list of all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) that owe Guma Valley Water Company.
He continued that many MDAs are indebted to Guma Valley Water Company over Le100 billion Leones and that the debt have stagnated the progress of Guma Valley thereby causing serious challenges for the distribution of adequate water across the country.
Hon. Marah pointed out that the Committee will summon all Guma Valley debtors with a view to take possible actions.
He reiterated that under his Chairmanship, no MDA would owe Guma Valley Water Company such a huge sum thereby derailing the activities of the institution.
The country,according to him, is currently suffering from inadequate water supply and that as a newly appointed Chairman of the Parliamentary Water Resources Committee, he will not sit and allow few individuals to access water supply especially in the capital City of Freetown.
Hon. Lahai Marah made the disclosure when addressing the new Minister of Water Resources and officials of Guma Valley Water Company at the Administrative Building in Parliament.
The MP also stated that the country is facing serious water shortage especially in the capital city of Freetown.
He added that the wastage of water in the city is very much a problem.
His committee, he concluded, will ensure that they engage the Ministry of Water Resources to review the decade old sector policy.
Hon. Abdul Kargbo representing Constituency 077 who is also a Member of the Committee on Water Resources,dilated on how the citizenry is facing an acute shortage of water within the city.
He said the destruction of water pipes, lack of manpower in Guma Valley, lack of monitoring mechanism from the side of the Ministry of Water Resources, bad debtors and lack of strong policies in the Ministry, among many others, are the major causes for the stagnation of water supply within the city.
He said the Committee will ensure that they will not only supervise or undertake their oversight functions, but will also ensure that they participate on actions that will help government to achieve its goals on water.
Hon. Kargbo maintained that all those that have to pay Guma Valley should be forced to pay because, according to him, most of those MDAs pay other institutions such as electricity bills, internet supplies and many others for the various services they enjoy, but they refuse to honor their bills to Guma Valley.
The APC MP stated that deforestation is also another serious challenge, adding that several water catchment areas have dried up.
Guma Valley and SALWACO,according to him, are not prioritizing donor funded projects and that the committee will be extraordinarily vigilant to take measures to bring sanity in the sector.
The Minister of Water Resources, Philip Lansana Karimu, expressed thanks to Members of Parliament for their contributions, adding that as a new Minister, his Ministry will be working on a framework for projects and contracts and will assess the potential gravity of a scheme which will help solve the acute water shortage in the country especially in the capital City of Freetown.
The Minister also elaborated on the decade-long policies on water sector and vowed to always engage members of the Committee for progress on the water sector.