By Luka Binniyat
About five gunmen last Monday morning took positions at a bent  in Kakeyi village, 2 km east of Zaria city and about 5 km from the N24 billion mind-bugling 150 million litres per day Zaria new water treatment plant.

They set up a road block and went on to rob people, as villagers attested and confirmed by the Kaduna State Police Command.

Two expatriates working on the site and another Nigerian were on their way to the project site when they drove into the trap.

In a swift operation, they bandits gunned down and killed Mr. Padi Ibrahim, and abducted another Amir Drek all Lebanese.  Mallam Aliyu Nuruddeen, the  Nigerian was cut down by the bullets of robbers.

*Gov Yakowa

A huge pale was cast over the morale of the workers of Mothercat Nigerian Limited – the contractor with rising fears that the projects which had suffered several setbacks and had been a subject of all kinds of controversies, may again, suffer frustration.

But, yesterday Kaduna State Commissioner of Water Resources, Bar. Sunday Marshall Katung, said after several assurances by the state government to the staff of the company, work has resumed after the initial fear and anxiety.

The 150 ml/d Zaria Regional Water Works, as some call it, has on its own been a subject of anxiety after several billions had been sunk in the past, to reap what the public regards as appaling results.

Yet, this is an amazing conception whose incredible design and scope has been transferred from paper to ground expected to, “  improve public health and standard of living in Zaria City and surroundings as well as increase the investment and operational conditions for industrial and commercial activities in the city, thereby enhancing opportunities for employment with improved livelihood of the residents in the city and environs”, according to the owners of the project.

Yesterday, Katung bet his honour on timely completion of the work in December, 2013 saying he had a very rigid and strict instruction from Governor Patrick Yakowa to ensure that the notion of the project being jinxed was dismissed.

That may be true, looking at the economic, social and even strategic importance of Zaria, to Kaduna state, the grim reason for the project is captured by the African Development Fund (ADF), in assement of the Zaria situation as thus:  “Zaria City water supply system was originally constructed in 1939. It was expanded in 1975.

The current production capacity of Zaria Water Supply System is 26,000 m3/d (belowthe current demand of 100,000 m3/d), out of a designed capacity of 60,000m3/d. The water distribution system in Zaria is generally characterised by old, poorly maintained infrastructure, with low coverage, high unaccounted-for-water of over 60%.

The high unaccounted rate for water of 60% is due to serious leakages, illegal connections. In addition there is inadequate metering, poor billing and revenue collection. Due to the low and intermittent piped water coverage most residents depend on shallow wells that are unsanitary and exposed to contamination from surface runoff and proximity to pit latrines”

Katung who had reeled out figure after figure to arrive at N27 billion as what the State government was spending in a year to boost water supply to its estimated 7.3 million residents, agreed that the Zaria Water project was far the biggest money guzzler.

“The construction of the 150ml/d  Zaria New Water Treatment plant was awarded to Mssr Mothercat Nig Limited at the cost of N15.711 billion. The contract has now been reviewed to N24. 697 billion as a result of changes in original scope of work and additional components. The Project is intended to serve about N2.2 million people by 2025 residing in 23 communities in 8 local government Areas of the state.

The new treatment plant

is put at 72% completion. The sum of N2.574 billion was paid within the period under review. However, the total amount paid to date is N13.601 billion.

“However, the full capacity utilisation of the 150ml/d Zaria water treatment plant will solely depend on the completion of the multi-purpose 186.1 cubic metre Galma Dam that was awarded by the Federal Government to Gilmor Nig. Limited in 2006 at the cost of N4.5 billion. This was later reviewed to N11.8 billion. Construction work at the site is on-going with progress put at 72%”, he said.