By John Adi / Correspondent, Kaduna
There is no doubt that the essence of governance is to provide quality service to the people. It was against this background that the Kaduna State Government has continued to deploy resources for the implementation of people oriented projects across the entire state.
One of such projects is the Zaria Water Expansion project. The launch of the crucial component of the 150 million litres daily Zaria regional water supply project by Kaduna State government in collaboration with African Development Bank, AfDB at Kakeyi, Zaria recently signalled an end to the over 30 years of lack of access to potable water in Zaria and its environs.
The project which began with the construction of the Galma Dam in 2006 is also planned to supply raw water to the plant for irrigation to over 2,500 hectares of land and generate 2.2 megawatts of hydropower.
At the last visit of the Kaduna Governor, Ramalan Mukhtar Yero to the project site at Zaria, work was adjudged to have reached 60 per cent completion with an assurance that it would be completed on scheduled time. From what was gathered from the site engineers and government officials handling the multibillion naira project during the visit , the project grouped into four construction stages namely: a new 150 million litres per day water treatment plant; the construction of transmission mains and service reservoirs; rehabilitation and extension of distribution network; and network extension to six other local governments, if completed has the capacity to serve Zaria residents and other neighbouring local government areas.
It was one project initiated by the State Government with the objective of providing sustainable water supply and sanitation to the people of Zaria. More so, it aims at ensuring that the state attains the targets for potable water and sanitation as enunciated in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) document.
While on tour of the water project, Yero reiterated commitment to improved water supply noting that it is one of the main objectives of his administration.
The governor strongly believes that no meaningful development could be achieved if the people do not have access to potable water supply. “We have gone far in our efforts to solve the water problem being experienced in Zaria and environs. The 150mld Regional Water Supply being constructed by the state government at Kakeyi village, near the existing 50mld Water Works is meant to ease the protracted water supply in Zaria and provide a sustainable means for irrigation farming in Zaria,” the governor noted.
He also noted that increasing the production capacity without addressing the distribution network, transmission mains and service reservoir will not yield the desired result.
He explained that the government partnered with the African Development Bank and the Islamic Development Bank to consolidate the gains of the multi-billion Naira Zaria Regional Water Supply Project.
Daily Independent gathered that the water scheme that was designed to provide sustainable water supply has the potentials to effectively serve six other Local Governments of Sabon Gari, Kubau, Soba, Kudan, Makarfi and Giwa in addition to Zaria. It was discovered that the project has sanitation component attached to it, with latest sanitation facilities to be provided at public places and schools in addition to hygiene promotion activities.
Governor Yero who disclosed that the project is expected to be completed by 2017 however, urged the Task Manager of African Development Bank to speedily review and clear document forwarded to them, so that the project would be complete within the next two years. He assured that the state has put in place machinery to promptly grant all approvals that the project management team may require.
On the same note, the Country Director of AfDB, Dr Ousmane Dore who was on tour of the project with Governor Yero assured the governor of providing support and concluding the project on schedule. He assured of the commitment of AfDB to ensuring the project will rekindle the expectation of the over two million people from Zaria and 6 other local government areas to benefit from the water project when completed.
Meanwhile on the fears raised on how to transmit and distribute the water to be produced, the governor said there was no cause for alarm as the dam and water treatment plant under rehabilitation has reached 95 percent and 85 percent completion respectively.
The General Manager of Kaduna State Water Board, Engineer Kabiru Ahmed Rufai, who spoke Daily Independent on the level of work at the dam site, said the 150 million litres per day water plant will soon be completed and ready for use.
The minister of water resources, Mrs. Sarah Ochekpe who was represented by Engineer Benson Ajishegiri during the tour of ongoing work and facilities, noted that construction of the Galma Dam was started in 2006 to supply water to the Zaria treatment plant, but gave assurance that the Federal Government is determined and resolved to provide funding to complete the project.
At the end of the tour, Yero hinted that the first phase of the civil work for hydropower and irrigation component is completed and promised that the supply of turbine development of 400 hectares of land would be completed soon.
Also speaking, the paramount ruler of the host community Emir of Zazzau, Alhaji Shehu Idris expressed anticipated joy on the completion of the project, assuring the state and Federal Government of the support of his people. He observed that the people of Zaria who have suffered water shortage and sanitation would smile after the project is completed and put to functional use.
According to him, it is a pointer to the commitment of government to the socio- economic condition of the people. “The government has shown clearly that it intends to solve the problem of water shortage and help the people to reciprocate by being law abiding,” the Emir stated.
Though Zaria is ancient city with various higher institutions spread around the city, the residents and students had to grapple with the untold hardship of either buying water daily, dig wells, boreholes and occasionally fetch from rivers, which are most often times are polluted.
Daily Independent gathered that until 1999 when former Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Makarfi considered expanding the fifty million litres daily Zaria Water Works Plant, water scarcity was one common problem the residents face .
It could be recalled that Makarfi awarded the contract but the project as abandoned due to financial constraints. Then, the administration of then Governor Namadi Sambo reviewed the water project contract to N15.7 billion with additional components to produce 150 million liters per day.
The expansion work was then billed to be completed in 2011, but after Sambo was elevated to the position of Vice President in 2010, the contract was stalled. Late Governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa made some frantic efforts to continue where Sambo stopped, but the kidnap of two foreign contractors at the site again frustrated the project.
Nevertheless, Yero has promised to complete the prolonged contract. He said his administration will remain focused and committed to completing all ongoing projects initiated by previous administrations in the state.
‘’ We want to leave behind a legacy worthy of emulation by future generations, that is why we are going to complete this laudable water supply project for the benefit of our people and as the fruit of government of the people, by the people and for the people.’’ Yero said.
Some Zaria residents bared their minds to Daily Independent, on Yero’s promise to complete the project, describing it as a significant milestone in achieving objective of completing the protracted project.
Amina Shehu Imam, a 200 level law student of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria said didn’t believe that government is sincere to complete the project. Nevertheless, she added that if government completed the water project, it would be the best thing to happen to the densely populated Zaria.
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