"Intervention of Governor Uba Sani through the SURWASH Program has rescued the Water sector" - MD KADSWAC

Engineer Kabir Ahmed Rufa'i,
MD KADSWAC

As one of the implementing agencies of the Sustainable Urban Rural Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, SURWASH, Program in Kaduna State, Kaduna State Water Corporation, KADSWAC says because of the efforts of Governor Uba Sani, the program has gotten a clear direction and the trajectories of its improvement and performances are on the increase.

Managing Director of KADSWAC, Engineer Kabir Ahmed Rufa'i explained that the SURWASH program has suffered some set backs when it commenced three years ago

While speaking with newsmen in Kaduna, Engineer Kabir Rufa'i stated that last year, the governor awarded contracts to the tune of about N25 billion for the rehabilitation and retrofitting of various water treatment plants, as well as rehabilitation and restoration of pipelines that were destroyed under the urban renewal programme of the previous administration.

He explained that the destruction of those pipelines affected the ability of KADSWAC to give water to the people "so also the neglect of the water treatment facilities, also drastically reduced the capacity utilization of the plant to 8 per cent. Thank God the trajectory has changed, production is on the increase, the service coverage is on the increase. When those contracts that were awarded under the SURWASH programme are completed the coverage will also increase.

"So, the SURWASH programme has rescued the State Water Corporation and the water sector as a whole because the intervention and participation of Kaduna State in SURWASH using the facility has enabled the Corporation to begin to reform and provide the services that is expected of it". 

According to him, the intervention is not just in Kaduna town.

 "Contracts to restore full capacity utilization of Zaria project has been awarded. Contract to rehabilitate Kaduna Water Scheme has been awarded. Contract to rehabilitate the Zonkwa Regional Water Supply Scheme, Kwoi Regional Water Supply Scheme, as well as Kafanchan were all awarded. We are in the implementation phase". 

"We have also awarded contracts for the extension of water supply to Kudan, Hunkuyi and Makarfi on the Zaria regional water supply scheme. These are all under the SURWASH programme". 

The Managing Director of the Water Cooperation further disclosed that "there are also a number of reform activities we' will embark upon shortly. This has to do with the repositioning of the Corporation to be able to function as a corporate entity so that it could depend on its resources to continue to provide those services after the completion of SURWASH. In a nutshell, the SURWASH has rescued Kaduna State Water Corporation and the water sector, all thanks to His Excellency, Senator Uba Sani".

While the Governor Uba Sani led administration is preparing to celebrate its two years of existence as a government, Engineer Kabir said the Water sector of the administration has achieved tremendous success since the coming of the Uba Sani's Administration.

"The achievements are numerous. For example, His Excellency met a backlog of salary arrears and other staff entitlements. As we speak, the Governor has cleared all outstanding arrears and has paid the staff salaries, and has even migrated the payment of staff salaries from the Corporation to the State Government. So now, its the State Government that is directly paying staff salaries. That's why in a while now you have not heard strikes by staff. You have not experience water services disruption and have not heard of crisis, instead what we've seen are blessings and awards by staff of the Corporation to His Excellency, Senator Uba Sani over his handlings of the water sector".

"Secondly, the Governor has been supportive in providing water treatment chemicals for production of quality and portable water supply to the people. Chemicals that allow us operate the water works in order to give people quality water".

"Thirdly, we have challenge with power and the Governor has intervened. He's in discussion with the electricity distribution company on the outstanding arrears. Already, the government has commenced monthly payments to the power company in order for it to continue to give us power to operate our plants". 

"In addition to the contracts i mentioned earlier that the Governor has awarded for rehabilitation and retrofitting of a number of water schemes in the state. In Kaduna metropolitan city, we have three water treatment plants - the Kaduna North has two plants: 150 million liters per day, mlpd, constructed in 1987, and Kaduna North old 90 million liters per day constructed in 1975. This two treatment plants contracts for their rehabilitation and retrofitting was awarded. We have the Kaduna South treatment plant constructed in 1939, a 27 million litres plant, of which contract has also been awarded for its rehabilitation.

I mentioned the pipelines that were destroyed during the urban renewal project of the previous administration. The contract too to rehabilitate and restore them has also been awarded'.

"In Zaria, the 150mld constructed and commissioned in 2017, which sadly suffered neglect and failed to function optimally is now being rehabilitated to be put into proper use. Areas like the Prison Tank, around the Emir of Zazzau's Palace and a number of other settlements in the city that were not getting water as a result of failure of the Prison Tank and the Madarkaci Tank have began to see services restored. This are achievements. You would recalled that there was a video that went viral and His Excellency directed that matter be treated as emergency. That issue has been addressed and the areas have began to get water".

"The Zaria City NLD water treatment plant commissioned in 1975 and the 10 million liters water treatment plant commissioned in 1929 are all being rehabilitated. And generally, areas in Zaria that were not getting water before have began to get water. But sadly, the number of leakages because of the disturbance of the pipelines under the urban renewal programme is what is delaying our full restoration of water supply to the people. This is a huge achievement".

"We have also been to Ikara and have inspected the Ikara water treatment plant up to Anchau-t

Takalafya, and we're on the virge of submitting a comprehensive report to His Excellency to address the water challenges in that axis".

"Similarly, His Excellency has directed us to; and in fact, we've been to Birnin-Gwari. I traveled to Birnin-Gwari myself with my team: and we visited the water treatment plant. We've taken inventory of all the things that we have. With peace now fully restored in Birnin-Gwari, shortly we're going to send our proposal to His Excellency to intervene, so that we can quickly begin to give Birnin-Gwari people water supply services". 

"The same thing is being done in Kafanchan and Kagoro, Kurmin-Musa water treatment plant for Kwoi Regional Water Supply Scheme. And Manchok for Zonkwa Regional Water Supply Scheme. All of the schemes, including the pipelines in Kafanchan are receiving attention to see that water supply services are fully restored in those areas. These are remarkable achievements. The first time in the history of the state that infrastructure water supply, restoration water supply, retrofitting water supply and whatever name you want to call it is being done in this large scale and magnitude". 

"Not to talk of expansion of water supply from Zaria to Kudan, Hunkuyi and to Makarfi. The contract for that has been awarded and we are currently designing the extension to Pambegwa, Giwa, Likoro and all the other northern axis from Zaria. Once the designs are completed the award of the contract will take place and then the implementation will begin".

"So, His Excellency Senator Uba Sani has a very impressive agenda for the water sector with the ultimate target of ensuring coverage for water supply and sanitation in the state is total". Engineer Kabir Rufa'i concluded.