page 20
The
Special Edition
BOSS NEWSPAPER
Let There Be Water: A TESTAMENT OF OLUKOYA’S WATER REVOLUTION
n the following pages we present, in perspectives, the social impact of this spiritual vessel in matching preachments of Christian love, compassion, charity and humility on the pulpit with practical deeds through a silent revolution by which he is redefining evangelical vocation and philanthropy.
Here are highlights as captured through the lenses and voices of some of the numerous beneficiaries .
By Kolawole Igandan
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Noting that
In the beginning were dry taps the church could everywhere. Iwaya and Onike are old not look askance at suburbs of the Lagos metropolis. A the plight of the nudging distance from Yaba, the people, the founder, central business district of the Dr. Olukoya, ordered Mainland, these areas have for long a survey of the needs been hooked to the network of the of the communities and State Water Corporation's mains approved the drilling supplying water from Iju Water Works of the boreholes across a nexus of streets to the different parts of the city. surrounding the But for various factors notably the church premises. official red tape, inefficiency, lack of funds, poor management responsible for the crippling of public utilities, the sight of gushing water from the public taps and within homes in these neighbourhoods was a rarity! If and when it sometimes came, it came in fitful drops and that, on occasions when the Water Works authorities took pity on the long suffering inhabitants to pump some ration into the areas. In face of this acute water scarcity, the Ballard of the Old Ancient Mariner"Water, water everywhere, yet not a drop to drink" became a common dirge sung by residents of the communities, which border the swampy shores of the Lagos lagoon. Although a fairly high density area, demand for accommodation began to drop as the dire situation scared prospective tenants away and forced others already living there to relocate.
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“We're indebted to Dr. Olukoya for ending water scarcity nightmare in Iwaya/Onike”
Olukoya/MFM to the rescue But the groans of the landlords and the people turned into joy some years back when the MFM, through its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme provided a set of boreholes to alleviate their suffering and hardship of the communities where its headquarters was located.
Noting that the church could not look askance at the plight of the people, the founder, Dr. Olukoya, ordered a survey of the needs of the communities and approved the drilling of the boreholes across a nexus of streets surrounding the church premises. Among those that benefitted from the gesture are Chi Quality Cool Spot, opposite First Bank, Andoyi, Akintunde and Johnson Streets. Although the water point installations also serve the needs of the church members, especially during special programmes, they have become primary sources of water on which residents including the young and old, families as well as traders in the nearby popular Onike market depend.
Testimonies “When they have a programme, a lot of people come to fetch water here. Since it is close to the market, you will see market women, young boys and girls in evening queuing to fetch water here. The church has helped the people with the provision of water which was one of the problems we had before," says Timi Emokenighan, a security guard at INITS Computer Office opposite Andoyi Street where one of the boreholes is sited. Lekan Fasinro, a plumber and member of the committee involved in the installation of the borehole project at 14, Akintunde
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