Jonathan commissions N18bn Abuja water treatment project

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday commissioned phases three and four of the Lower Usuma Dam water treatment plant along Bwari Road in Abuja.

The two phases of the treatment plant were producing 10 million liters of water per hour. The new phases treat additional 20 million liters per hour (20,000m3/hr), thereby making it 30 million liters per hour. Messrs. Biwater Nigeria Limited executed the contract at a revised cost of N18.09 billion.

In his speech shortly before cutting the tape, Jonathan said the project would create more job opportunities, describing it as a milestone for his administration in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). He promised to support the FCT administration complete the on-going trunks mains-conveyance system and storage reservoirs to the city as well as the pipeline distribution network servicing phases two and three of the city to fully reticulate water to the capital city.

Jonathan expressed the federal government’s committed to the provision of water and other public utilities in the entire country.

“You can’t say Abuja is a modern city if people sink their boreholes and provide their electricity,” the president said. FCT Minister Bala Mohammed noted that with the two new phases, Usuman Dam now has a total capacity to treat 20 million liters per hour.

He said the contract was awarded in August 2005 but could not be completed due to inadequate funding until President Jonathan stepped in. The minister who said government is considering extending water distribution network to phases two and three of the city covering districts like Gwarinpa, Kafe, Katampe, Wuye, Jabi and Jahi maintained that water scarcity in the federal capital city and its environs would be reduced. Phases one and two of the project were completed in 1987 and 2000 respectively.