Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission (LASWARCO) on Thursday presented Abstraction License, Borehole Permit and Water Treatment Plant Certification for Y2022 to Eko Hotels and Suites Limited, having fully complied with regulatory provisions on abstraction, borehole and water treatment plant certification.

The Executive Secretary of LASWARCO, Mrs. Funke Adepoju, who presented the license and permits to the management of the hotel at the Commission’s Head Office in Alausa, said the development followed compliance of the service provider, adding that the water being produced by the hotel is fit for human consumption.

Her words: “The official presentation of regulatory licenses and permit to Eko Hotels and Suites Limited is in recognition of its regulatory compliance with regulatory guidelines on groundwater and delivery of WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) services”.

Mrs. Adepoju asserted that the Sanwo-Olu administration remains committed to creating a conducive atmosphere for businesses to thrive, while also ensuring that operators in the WASH sector continue to comply with regulatory guidelines to safeguard the health of residents and secure the environment.

“As a COVID-19 palliative to cushion its effect on businesses, Mr. Governor had approved a waiver of all charges up to December 2019 and a concession of 75 per cent per litre on water abstraction charge, as well as a significant reduction for commercial/industrial borehole permits”, she said.

Responding, the Company Secretary/Legal Adviser of Eko Hotels & Suites Limited, Chief Samuel Alabi, said the resistance put up by some stakeholders against regulatory efforts of the State government was due to ignorance, saying the government has to regulate the sector in the interest of residents.

Alabi, who is also the President of Hotel Owners and Managers Association of Lagos State – comprising affiliate bodies of All Hoteliers Association and Association of Fast Food and Confectioners of Nigerian) – as well as a member of the Governing Council of Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), pledged his organisation’s support for the regulatory initiatives of the State government as championed by LASWARCO.

According to him: “Many people are not aware of the enormous responsibility placed on the government. It will be an act of irresponsibility for a government anywhere in the world to fold its arms and say I don’t care about the quality of water people drink”.

“If the government is irresponsible, the consequences of an unregulated water regime will reflect directly on an increase in the health budget. It is, therefore, compulsory for a responsible government to regulate water abstraction, production, and even distribution. It is in this regard that our company recognises and stands firmly with the regulatory efforts of Mr. Governor as represented by the able and dynamic Executive Secretary of LASWARCO”, Alabi said.

He also encouraged the state government to come up with a special course in the University to educate industry players on water regulation and other WASH laws for proper understanding and buy-in of the stakeholders.

LASWARCO, in its regulatory role, issues drilling licenses to commercial borehole/water well drillers, rig owners and practitioners’ water abstraction licenses as a form of regulation for groundwater management.