FG commissions 21 year-old abandoned Sabke dam, other water projects

A 21 year-old abandoned government’s owned Sabke Dam was among the three dams completed, commissioned and handed to Katsina state government on Monday for onward management and usage for water supply and irrigation. Sabke Dam was initiated by President Muhammadu Buhari in 1998 when he was in charge of Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) but could […]

A 21 year-old abandoned government’s owned Sabke Dam was among the three dams completed, commissioned and handed to Katsina state government on Monday for onward management and usage for water supply and irrigation.

Sabke Dam was initiated by President Muhammadu Buhari in 1998 when he was in charge of Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) but could not be completed and left to rot not until last year when it was re-awarded for completion.

Speaking at the commissioning and handing over ceremony, the Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, who commissioned the projects along side other Federal Government dignitaries, said the three water projects including Sabke water supply scheme, is a conventional water treatment plant with a capacity to provide one million (1,000,000) gallons of potable water to Daura and Mai’adua communities, while the Dutsi and Mashi water schemes are package plants with each having the capacity to provide about 250,000 gallons of treated water to Dutsi and Mashi communities.

He said the three plants have a combined capacity to serve over 100,000 people daily adding that FG’s direct involvement in the provision of water supply facilities is an intervention that is meant to accelerate access to portable water in the country towards meeting national and international set targets.

The Minister also said that FG has provided for the construction of 38 borehole schemes to serve all the villages along the Sabke-Daura water transmission pipelines.

"Where such intervention water facilities have been completed, the usual practice is for them to be handed over to either the state and local government or communities through their established Water Sanitation and Hygiene Committees (WASHCOMs) for appropriate operation and maintenance depending on the nature and size of the facilities.

"Water supply for humans and animals is crucial for social economic development. Its availability in sufficient quantity and quality is the first step for poverty alleviation. The provision of portable water supply and sanitation has been the responsibility of the three tiers of government. While the federal government, through our ministry,  provides the framework, monitor and evaluation;  the state government and local government are expected to provide water for its citizens in the rural areas" he said.

Speaking earlier at the commissioning, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed said the commissioning of these projects fit into the administration’s ongoing agenda to showcase the achievements of the Buhari Administration, especially in the area of Infrastructural development. 

He said the administration has spent an unprecedented N2.7trillion on infrastructures in just two years.

He also noted that the commissioning of the water projects is the second in a week done by the Buhari administration, following the one in Edo State last Thursday.

Mohammed also said that "We kick started our nationwide tour of FG’s projects a few weeks ago by inspecting ongoing work on the Lagos-Ibadan Standard Guage Rail, which is the first leg of the Lagos-Kano Standard Guage Rail Project. We then followed up by touring the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, where work has been epileptic until this Administration came into office

"Today, we are here to commission three key water projects, details of which the Honourable Minister of Water Resources will provide shortly. What all these show is that this Administration is delivering on its promises to ensure better life for Nigerians, irrespective of what the naysayers are saying.

"This administration believes that governance is about the well-being of the people, and will continue to pursue projects that directly benefit the people."

In his address, the Katsina state government, represented by the Secretary to the government, Mustapha Inuwa, pledeged that the state will maintain and sustain the project.

He assured that the state government will deploy mechanism to safeguard the project and utilise it to fullest capacity.