Osinbajo Commissions N24bn Zaria Water Plant

The 150 million liter per day Zaria water treatment plant has been commissioned more than 40 years after expansion work on it was initiated. The Zaria water works was installed in 1939, with an initial capacity of 10 million litres, but was upgraded in 1975 to 50 million litres due to lack of capacity to meet the demand of the people which was at about 140 million liters per day.

Acting president, Yemi Osinbajo, who was represented by the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), John Oyegun, at the commissioning said the completion of the plant by the Governor Nasir El-Rufai administration signifies the seriousness of the APC administration to fulfill its promises to the people.

The plant would serve seven local government areas in Kaduna State, including Zaria.

Osinbajo said the completion of the project was an indication that the APC means business as past PDP administrations in the state failed to complete it within the 16 years they were in office.

Former vice president, Namadi Sambo, who was at the occasion, commended the governor for completing the project.

Sambo said he was not surprised because the governor is a goal getter, adding, “once he sets himself on something he finishes it”.

“I will like to recall at this juncture that for five years after I left office, no significant project on this plant was achieved. I am not surprised because in only two years of your tenure, we are here to commission this project. I also want to shower encomium on you for the continuity of some of the other legacy projects in the state. You have worked tirelessly to ensure that you complete the millennium 300 bed hospital in Kaduna. The science secondary schools, when I left they were four but now they are six”, he said.

Governor El-Rufai in his remarks recalled that he promised the people of Zaria and environs to complete the water project when he was campaigning to be governor.

He said “this is because the project is very important to the people of Zaria and the other six local government areas that would benefit from it in terms of water supply”.

The Emir of Zaria, Alh Shehu Idris, said the completion of the Zaria water project by the administration of Nasir el-Rufai, was a dream come true.

The foundation of the Zaria water project was laid by the former governor of the state, Namadi Sambo, in 2008 at the cost of N15 billion and was later reviewed to N24 billion.