By Ben Ngwakwe, Gombe
The Gombe State Government has rejected claims that it spent between N133 billion and N138 billion on water supply projects, describing the figures as inaccurate and misleading.
The government said the figures in circulation appeared to lump together recurrent expenditure, capital allocations, inherited contractual obligations, development-partner interventions and budgetary provisions without distinguishing between funds appropriated and actual expenditure.
In a statement issued on Friday night by the Director-General, Press Affairs, Government House, Gombe, Ismaila Uba Misilli, the government said the clarification was aimed at providing the public with an accurate account of its investments and interventions in the water sector.
According to the statement, water supply has remained a longstanding challenge in the state due to population growth, urban expansion, ageing infrastructure, inadequate storage capacity, rising energy costs and a distribution network originally designed for a much smaller population.
