Anambra State Government has blamed “unwarranted tampering” and “possible vandalism” for the malfunctioning of the Ochanja Roundabout Water Fountain in the commercial city of Onitsha.
This was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Commissioner for Information, Paul Nwosu.
A viral video that circulated on social media on Monday showed a man using kegs to refill the water fountain, which was said to have been constructed in March when the state governor, Chukwuma Soludo transformed the roundabout from a refuse dump site into a water fountain.
According to the statement, the Commissioner for Information, Paul Nwosu, said the viral video was the handiwork of “mischief makers” and the “opposition” created to discredit the achievement of the state governor.
Nwosu said the non-functional state of the fountain is the direct result of sabotage by willful vandalism.
He said, “The video of a water vendor pretending to supply water to the supposedly dry fountain is mischievous and not well thought through. For lack of what to use to discredit and denounce the publicly acclaimed hard-working Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, opposition politicians have gone berserk in orchestrating all manner of infantile images to drive non-existent points.
“Unlike ordinary tap which flows from the tank that could be depleted over time, a water fountain recycles its water continuously, and the one in question, which was installed barely a month ago, could not have evaporated into the air.
“The Anambra State Ministry of Power and Water Resources has reticulated water within a five-kilometre radius of the neighbourhood, and there is no way water supply to the Ochanja Roundabout Water Fountain could have been a challenge.”
He added, “Government frowns at the unwarranted tampering and possible vandalisation of public utilities built with taxpayers money. Anybody found tampering, defacing or damaging the roundabout and fountain or any road infrastructure from now on will be immediately arrested and prosecuted.
“People should desist from making themselves available for useless propaganda that could land them in jail.”
Similarly, Soludo’s Press Secretary, Christian Aburime, in a statement, noted that the Ochanja Roundabout, which was turned into a water fountain, used to be a mountain of refuse and animal carcasses which repelled residents and commuters alike, just as it stalled vehicular traffic and economic activity.
Aburime insisted that the sight of a water vendor pouring jerry cans of water into the dry fountain base is not a consequence of shoddy construction or lack of maintenance by the government but rather the handiwork of vandals sponsored by political desperados.
He said no agency of the state government engaged in the services of the water vendor seen in the video.
“For over two decades, the roundabout had been an eyesore, a source of disgust and discontent. But Soludo came and turned the eyesore into a point of pride, a symbol of the state’s commitment to environmental health, traffic flow, economic vitality and aesthetic excellence.
“Regrettably, an arranged video started circulating online on Monday, painting a different spectacle of the fountain, one orchestrated by those who don’t like to see good things happen in Anambra.
“The sight of a water vendor pouring jerry cans of water into the dry fountain base is not a consequence of shoddy construction or lack of maintenance by the government, but rather the handiwork of vandals sponsored by political desperados,” he stated.
He continued, “This staged spectacle aims to discredit the Soludo government’s achievements and sow seeds of doubt amongst the populace. But while mischief-makers can fool some people sometimes, they cannot fool everyone all the time. Let it be known that no agency of the Anambra State government engaged in the services of the water vendor seen in the video.
“It was all staged by naysayers. How reasonable is it that a government would even hire a water vendor to refill the fountain in broad daylight and have it captured on video? Obviously, the sponsors of the water fountain ‘skit’ fooled themselves.
“Meanwhile, it has also been discovered that the non-functional state of the fountain is the direct result of sabotage by willful vandalism, a deplorable act perpetrated by those who would rather see Anambra mired in the past than embracing progress and a brighter future. But the saboteurs will continue to fail in their anti-progress antics.”
He promised that the fountain would be fixed.
He assured, “While the functionality of the fountain may have been temporarily tampered with, the spirit that drove this transformation remains unbroken. The fountain will be fixed, and Governor Soludo’s tireless dedication to transforming every corner of the state shall not be deterred by such petty machinations.”
He, however, advised the mischief-makers to abandon their “campaign of calumny” and instead channel their energies towards more constructive endeavours.
“For Ndi Anambra, eternal vigilance is the price to pay for sustainable progress. The people, not the government alone, have to take responsible ownership and protection of the various public projects being constructed with taxpayers’ money.
“The Ochanja Roundabout fountain remains one of the good examples of what can be achieved when vision and determination converge for transformation. The waters of the fountain may have been momentarily stilled but the currents of progress in Anambra State shall continue to flow, carrying the state towards ever greater heights of prosperity and beauty,” Aburime added.
Source: Punch
Afriquecast
Anambra State Government has blamed “unwarranted tampering” and “possible vandalism” for the malfunctioning of the Ochanja Roundabout Water Fountain in the commercial city of Onitsha.
This was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Commissioner for Information, Paul Nwosu.
A viral video that circulated on social media on Monday showed a man using kegs to refill the water fountain, which was said to have been constructed in March when the state governor, Chukwuma Soludo transformed the roundabout from a refuse dump site into a water fountain.
According to the statement, the Commissioner for Information, Paul Nwosu, said the viral video was the handiwork of “mischief makers” and the “opposition” created to discredit the achievement of the state governor.
Nwosu said the non-functional state of the fountain is the direct result of sabotage by willful vandalism.
He said, “The video of a water vendor pretending to supply water to the supposedly dry fountain is mischievous and not well thought through. For lack of what to use to discredit and denounce the publicly acclaimed hard-working Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, opposition politicians have gone berserk in orchestrating all manner of infantile images to drive non-existent points.
“Unlike ordinary tap which flows from the tank that could be depleted over time, a water fountain recycles its water continuously, and the one in question, which was installed barely a month ago, could not have evaporated into the air.
“The Anambra State Ministry of Power and Water Resources has reticulated water within a five-kilometre radius of the neighbourhood, and there is no way water supply to the Ochanja Roundabout Water Fountain could have been a challenge.”
He added, “Government frowns at the unwarranted tampering and possible vandalisation of public utilities built with taxpayers money. Anybody found tampering, defacing or damaging the roundabout and fountain or any road infrastructure from now on will be immediately arrested and prosecuted.
“People should desist from making themselves available for useless propaganda that could land them in jail.”
Similarly, Soludo’s Press Secretary, Christian Aburime, in a statement, noted that the Ochanja Roundabout, which was turned into a water fountain, used to be a mountain of refuse and animal carcasses which repelled residents and commuters alike, just as it stalled vehicular traffic and economic activity.
Aburime insisted that the sight of a water vendor pouring jerry cans of water into the dry fountain base is not a consequence of shoddy construction or lack of maintenance by the government but rather the handiwork of vandals sponsored by political desperados.
He said no agency of the state government engaged in the services of the water vendor seen in the video.
“For over two decades, the roundabout had been an eyesore, a source of disgust and discontent. But Soludo came and turned the eyesore into a point of pride, a symbol of the state’s commitment to environmental health, traffic flow, economic vitality and aesthetic excellence.
“Regrettably, an arranged video started circulating online on Monday, painting a different spectacle of the fountain, one orchestrated by those who don’t like to see good things happen in Anambra.
“The sight of a water vendor pouring jerry cans of water into the dry fountain base is not a consequence of shoddy construction or lack of maintenance by the government, but rather the handiwork of vandals sponsored by political desperados,” he stated.
He continued, “This staged spectacle aims to discredit the Soludo government’s achievements and sow seeds of doubt amongst the populace. But while mischief-makers can fool some people sometimes, they cannot fool everyone all the time. Let it be known that no agency of the Anambra State government engaged in the services of the water vendor seen in the video.
“It was all staged by naysayers. How reasonable is it that a government would even hire a water vendor to refill the fountain in broad daylight and have it captured on video? Obviously, the sponsors of the water fountain ‘skit’ fooled themselves.
“Meanwhile, it has also been discovered that the non-functional state of the fountain is the direct result of sabotage by willful vandalism, a deplorable act perpetrated by those who would rather see Anambra mired in the past than embracing progress and a brighter future. But the saboteurs will continue to fail in their anti-progress antics.”
He promised that the fountain would be fixed.
He assured, “While the functionality of the fountain may have been temporarily tampered with, the spirit that drove this transformation remains unbroken. The fountain will be fixed, and Governor Soludo’s tireless dedication to transforming every corner of the state shall not be deterred by such petty machinations.”
He, however, advised the mischief-makers to abandon their “campaign of calumny” and instead channel their energies towards more constructive endeavours.
“For Ndi Anambra, eternal vigilance is the price to pay for sustainable progress. The people, not the government alone, have to take responsible ownership and protection of the various public projects being constructed with taxpayers’ money.
“The Ochanja Roundabout fountain remains one of the good examples of what can be achieved when vision and determination converge for transformation. The waters of the fountain may have been momentarily stilled but the currents of progress in Anambra State shall continue to flow, carrying the state towards ever greater heights of prosperity and beauty,” Aburime added.
Source: Punch
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