23 June 2019
All plans are now on top gear to ensure full production and distribution of quality water to the residents of Calabar metropolis and the environs by the Cross River State Water Board Limited by the second week of July, 2019.
Currently there is a massive rehabilitation and replacement of all faulty and obsolete equipment in Calabar and other substations across the state by the new Management led by Barr. Ekpo Asuquo Ada, which resumed duties in December last year.
Speaking in Calabar today, the Managing Director of CRSWBL, Barr. Ekpo Ada Asuquo, disclosed that by the time his team completes the rehabilitation and replacement of faulty equipment and commences the production and distribution of water, people will definitely run away from bore-holes because of the quality of water they will be producing.
"Because of the quality of Water we will produce, we will be generating money from within. The first two months when we start is to restore confidence in the people, by the third month we will start revenue generation as we can generate N40 million monthly as water Board is meant to be a profitable entity, that can make money for government, and we are determined to give quality water and to ensure that it is sustained.
"Cross Riverians should be patient with us as we have the best facilities in Nigeria. When we are through with the ongoing renovation of equipment water Board will be profitable. We have 75 000 houses across the state that are connected to the water Board and we have capacity to produce 80 million litres, of water but we are currently able to produce only 20 percent, however, with the ongoing rehabilitation, we hope to meet the 80 million litres of water target."
The MD revealed that as part of the ongoing rehabilitation plans, and to ensure that the company function at maximum capacity, the company has put up a plan for the training and retraining of staff in Germany on solar energy technology for water production to get to our set target.
Explaining why the company in the past could not break even and meet it's obligation to the state and the public, the MD said that there were issues of prudence challenge in the administration and management of the place which served as a cork in realizing it's target.
To ensure that water Board move away from operating as a charitable organization to a profit making venture in line with the demands of the African development Bank (ADB), before a loan can be granted, government decided to incorporate it as a limited liability company and that whatever profit it can generate,it would be useful to the state and it's people.
Apart from incorporating the water Board into a limited liability company, another condition set by the ADB, according to the MD of the CRSWBL was that a Managing Director must be appointed to Head the place.
