How Gombe Government Under Yahaya Spent Over N138billion On Water Projects While Residents Grapple With Scarcity | Sahara Reporters

Capital allocations for water projects between 2020 and 2025 were estimated at between N35 billion and N40 billion.

The Gombe State Government under Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya has committed an estimated N133billion to N138billion to water supply and related projects between 2019 and 2026, yet residents of the state continue to grapple with persistent water scarcity.

An analysis of the state’s budgets over the period indicates that the government spent billions of naira on recurrent water operations, capital projects and regional water expansion, raising questions about the impact of the huge expenditure on access to potable water across the state.

The figures are contained in an analysis of Gombe State’s budgetary allocations during Yahaya’s administration, covering the governor’s seven full fiscal years from 2020 to 2026, as well as the inherited 2019 budget.

The analysis showed that the total value of Gombe State’s initial approved annual budgets across the seven fiscal years fully prepared and presented by Yahaya stood at N1.778 trillion.

When post-passage supplementary and revised appropriations are taken into account, the figure rises to N1.829 trillion.

Including the inherited 2019 budget of N122.49 billion, which covered the final seven months of Yahaya’s first year in office, the cumulative budget figure for the seven-and-a-half-year period stood at N1.901 trillion, or N1.951 trillion when revised and supplementary totals are included.

On water supply specifically, the analysis estimated that the state government committed more than N9.5 billion to direct production and operational maintenance through recurrent expenditure and subventions.

Capital allocations for water projects between 2020 and 2025 were estimated at between N35 billion and N40 billion.

The expenditure covered piped-water expansion, borehole projects through the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA), as well as the Dadin Kowa partnership.

In the 2026 budget alone, N88.4 billion was allocated to the capital sector for regional water expansion and environmental projects.
Taken together, the analysis put the estimated cumulative financial value of the state’s water sector expenditure between 2019 and 2026 at between N133 billion and N138 billion.

Despite the scale of the spending, water scarcity remains a major concern for residents, particularly communities that continue to depend on private boreholes, water vendors, wells and other alternative sources.

The situation has generated questions among residents about the effectiveness of the government’s investments and whether the projects have translated into reliable access to potable water.

For many households, the continued dependence on water vendors and alternative sources means additional financial pressure, particularly for low-income families.

Residents also contend that spending such a large amount on water infrastructure should ordinarily result in a more dependable water supply system.

A major project highlighted in the expenditure analysis is the rehabilitation, upgrade and expansion of the Gombe Regional Water Supply Scheme (GRWSS).
The N11.491 billion contract was awarded to Jidadu Ventures Limited, owned by Alhaji Yaya Barambu of Gombe State, under contract reference MOWEFR/2022/GME/002.

The contract was approved by the Gombe State Executive Council on May 11, 2022, with the Ministry of Water, Environment and Forest Resources and the Gombe State Water Board supervising the project.

Its scope included the installation and laying of approximately 160 kilometres of distribution reticulation pipes across Gombe metropolis.

The project also provided for the construction of major booster pump stations at Tashan Aduwa, Tunfure, the Gombe Capital Special Development Zone and near NTA Gombe to serve the International Conference Centre.

Other components included a localised mini-water scheme at Tabra and the rehabilitation and capacity expansion of the Wuro Juli Water Scheme.

The contract further provided for the installation of 2,000 smart meters, 250 bulk flow meters and 100 isolation valves aimed at reducing water losses and integrating digital billing.
According to the analysis, the project is now over 90 per cent completed.
However, the continuing complaints about water scarcity have heightened demands for greater transparency and accountability over the government’s water expenditure.

Residents’ concerns centre largely on the gap between the amount reportedly invested and the availability of water in homes and communities.

They want the government to provide a clearer account of the projects executed, their locations, operational status and the extent to which the billions allocated to the sector have improved access to potable water.

The debate has therefore shifted beyond how much the government has spent to whether the expenditure has delivered the intended value to the people of Gombe State.