N11.4bn water project launched by FG in Gombe community

The Federal Government in a joint venture with Gombe State Government inaugurated the rehabilitation, expansion, and upgrade of a regional water project worth N11.4bn.

Disclosing this on Friday during the launch, Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, said out of the contract sum, the FG’s stake is 30 percent, which is about N3 billion counterpart funding while the state contributed 70 percent amounting to about 8 billion.

Adamu noted this was part of the FG’s effort at ensuring the provision of pipe-borne water to residents.

While urging residents to take ownership of the project by protecting the installations and equipment, the minister said, “All our projects have been completed to 100 percent, none abandoned. We always finish and hand it over to communities to take care of it. If you see anything happening it’s after we had finished and handed it over to communities. If they didn’t care to take care of it, then it’s their own business.”

Also speaking, Governor Muhammadu Yahaya lauded the collaboration between Gombe State and Federal Government towards providing potable water supply to urban and rural areas.

Yahaya disclosed that his administration has constructed no fewer than 600 boreholes across the state.

He lamented that the need for water has been heightened by the security situation around other states, saying, “As you all aware, the Dadin-Kowa Water Treatment Plant was commissioned about 15 years ago, when the population of Gombe State was around 2.6 million.

“Today, our population has grown to over 3.6 million and most of this growth has occurred within the Gombe metropolis and its surrounding communities. Gombe’s phenomenal growth is largely attributable to rapid urbanisation as well as the influx of people fleeing the Boko Haram insurgency from the frontline states of Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa.

“This development puts tremendous pressure on the provision of basic social services like water, sanitation, health, and education.”

On his part, the Director of Water Supply, Danjuma Madaki, said, “The Project commenced with the execution of MoU on 12th August 2021, between the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Gombe State Government.

“The implementation of physical works commenced with an award of contract to Messrs Jidadu Ventures Nig. Ltd at a contract price of N11,491,209,339.96 and Engineering Consultancy Service to Messrs Global Ecological Consultant Nigeria.”

(Punch)