Osinbajo commissions N24bn Zaria water plant

Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, on Saturday in Zaria commissioned the 150 million litres per day water treatment plant.

The facility will deliver water to the ancient city of Zaria, 6 other local government areas and environs.

Osinbajo said the completion of the water project was part of the commitment of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) government to the people of Zaria, Kaduna State and Nigeria as a whole.

Represented by the National chairman of the ruling APC, Chief John Oyegun, Professor Osinbajo noted that, “Today’s event signifies that the APC means business. This was a project the PDP failed to do in sixteen years when they were in power.

“But today, we are here to witness the commissioning of the water project completed by one of our most visionary Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai.”

On his part, Kaduna State Governor Malam Nasir El-Rufai said the project was very important to the people of Zaria and environs, adding that that was why he promised during the campaign to complete the project.

The Governor thanked a former vice president and former Governor of the state, Muhammed Namadi Sambo who was present at the commissioning for initiating the project.

El-Rufai said, the Zaria water project is the beginning of a new phase in water works development and renovation in the state, as other water works scattered all across the state will continue to receive the attention of government.”

He said the Zaria water works was built in 1939 with an initial capacity of 10m litres and is currently not functioning, pointing out that in 1975, it was upgraded to 50m litres but the operating capacity of both the two could not meet the 140m litres per day need of the people of Zaria and environs.

Speaking at the event, the Emir of Zazzau, Alh Shehu Idris said the completion of the Zaria water project by the administration of Nasir El-Rufai was a dream come true.

According to him, “It is my dream to see this day becoming a reality. Thank you Mr. Governor for making my dream come true.”

Earlier, the state commissioner for water resources, Alh Suleiman Aliyu Lere, disclosed that the foundation of the Zaria water project was laid by the former governor of the state, Namadi Sambo in 2008 at the cost of N15bn and was later reviewed to N24bn due to other exigencies.

In his own remarks, the former Vice President, Namadi Sambo commended the state governor for completing the project.

He said, he was not surprised because the governor whom he knew 40 years ago was a goal-getter, stressing that once he set out for something, he got it done.

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