NSG Invests N1.5bn in Water Project to Address Keffi’s Water Shortage – Commissioner Agah Muluku
By Roseline Okafor, Nasarawa.
Nasarawa State Government has expressed optimism that the lingering water shortage in Keffi and its environs will soon be a thing of the past.
This assurance was given by the Commissioner for Water Resources and Rural Development, Mohammed Agah Muluku, during an inspection of the ongoing rehabilitation of a water project in Keffi on Tuesday.
In June this year, the Nasarawa State Government awarded a contract for the rehabilitation of a water project from the Mada Waterfalls to Garaku, aimed at boosting water supply to Maloney Hill, Keffi, and distributing it to other parts of the town.
To ensure the project’s proper execution, the Nasarawa State Commissioner for Water Resources and Rural Development, Mohammed Agah Muluku, alongside the management of the Water Board led by the General Manager, Dr. Abubakar Kana, visited the booster station in Garaku and the completed water reservoir at Government College Keffi.
The commissioner expressed satisfaction with the project’s progress.
“The essence of our visit today is to assess the level of progress since the award of this contract in June this year. Based on what we have seen, I am convinced beyond reasonable doubt that the contractor is working very well. Every month, the government is providing funds for the water board’s services,” the commissioner said.
The General Manager of the Water Board, Geologist Abubakar Kana, explained that the contract award by Governor Abdullahi Sule was aimed at addressing the lingering water shortage in Keffi, which had persisted for 10 to 15 years, added that the establishment of a booster station in Garaku would enhance water supply from the Mada Waterfalls to Keffi.
According to Kana, a 1.3-kilometer bypass line has been established from Keffi Hotel, passing through Hassan Lawal Street, up to the reservoir at Government College Keffi, would enable water distribution to the entire GRA, Angwan Sokotawa, Angwan Jaba, the VIP Guest House, and the 177 Guards Battalion Barracks, among others.
“In Garaku, the work is about 80% completion, because all the civil works have been done including other connections just awaiting the arrival of the pump between December and January”
The contractor handling the project, Mr. Isaac Salami of Tombim Services Limited, said the contract involved creating a booster station between the Mada Waterfalls and Maloney Hill and explained that the reduced pressure on the tapping line had prevented water from reaching Maloney Hill and that all the necessary infrastructure for the booster station was in place and nearing completion.
The Chairman of Kokona Local Government Area, Agbawu Mek Agbawu, thanked the Nasarawa State Government for its efforts to address the water challenges faced by various communities, particularly in Garaku and Keffi Local Government Areas and promised to provide necessary support to enable the project’s success.
