News Investigators/ The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Senatorial candidate for Nasarawa North Senatorial bye-election, David Ombugadu, has promised to drill 1,500 boreholes as part of a new potable water intervention across the three Local Government Areas of the zone.
Mr Ombugadu, who made the announcement on Saturday in Wamba during his campaign, said that the water intervention will be inaugurated on June 15, to mark the commencement of the project.
The PDP candidate said that the project is his personal initiative and a commitment to humanity but not a political gimmick.
He said the move was motivated by the visible impact of projects he executed while he was a member of the House of Representatives.
“Today is an appraisal of the things that we have done before. In every ward in the Wamba community, we have seen blocks of classrooms and water projects spread across Wamba.
‘That has really motivated me. I decided that we should also relaunch another water project,” he said.
According to Mr Ombugadu, under the new plan, 100 boreholes will be sunk in Wamba, 110 in Akwanga, and 140 in Nasarawa Eggon, totalling 350 boreholes in the first phase.
He said that the contractors had been mobilised to begin survey work next Monday, with the full 1,500 boreholes targeted across the three local government areas of Akwanga, Nassarawa Eggon and Wamba in the coming days.
He disclosed that he had a long-standing personal commitment and covenant to provide 5,000 boreholes in his lifetime.
“I made a covenant in 2011 and 2012 that at 50, I want to be remembered for commissioning life-impacting 5,000 boreholes to provide potable water for my people.
“That is a commitment I made between God and me. It does not have any roots, no connection to politics. It’s a personal commitment,” he said.
Mr Ombugadu said to ensure fairness, each ward must get boreholes sited at one church, one mosque, one hospital, one public school, and one market as compulsory yardsticks.
“These boreholes are not for PDP. These borehole projects do not have party and religious colouration. It’s going to be a borehole for the people of Nasarawa State,” he emphasised.
He urged journalists to join a monitoring team to track the survey and drilling from start to completion to ensure transparency.
Speaking on the June 20 bye-election, Ombugadu appealed to voters to give him the opportunity at this highest level of representation to attract more development and projects to the zone.
“Effective representation is what I stand for. I have served the people, and I have been tested and trusted. That is why in the history of politics in this zone, I remain the only member of the House of Representatives who was returned twice,” he said.
NAN