By Mumini AbdulKareem
President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, yesterday flagged off the N472m rehabilitation of the Sobi Dam waterworks that would produce 2million litres of water per day.
The dam, which was constructed about three (3) decades ago is expected to boost water supply to some communities in Ilorin East, Ilorin South and Moro Local Government Areas of the state, including the Sobi Cantonment of the Nigerian Army.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Director-General of ABS constituency office, Alhaji Musa Abdullahi, who represented the number three citizen of the country stated that the project was undertaken to improve the socio-economic wellbeing of the citizen.
He charged the beneficiaries to guard the project and cooperate effectively with those assigned for the rehabilitation.
The waterworks which has been operating on twenty five per cent (25%) efficiency in the last 15 years has a completion period of six months.
The DG stated that the rehabilitation was borne out of a desire for higher efficiency for both the domestic and industrial benefits of the constituents and Kwarans at large.
Shortly before the project was handed over to the contractor by the Managing Director of Lower Niger River Basin (which is the MDA in charge of the project), Engr. Aremu Adeniyi, the Director General disclosed that the Senate President is committed to the welfare of his constituents. He added that Saraki is ready to bring an end to problems arising from the quality and quantity of water supply through the rehabilitation of old and construction of new surface and underground waterworks.
He said there are about 200 ongoing constituency projects of the Senate President that includes more than 20 communal road projects that are eighty per cent (80%) completed and will be commissioned soon, across the four local governments that make up the Kwara Central Senatorial District.
He assured Kwarans of the completion of all the projects being facilitated by the Senate President and that more of such people-oriented projects are in the pipeline.
According to the Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Water Resources, Hon. Ahman Pategi (Bahago), the National Assembly under the leadership of Saraki wants to discourage incessant digging of boreholes but invest more on water dam construction and reticulation in order to ensure that every household in the country has access to healthy and drinkable water.
He said Saraki ensured monumental projects are captured for Kwarans in the 2018 national budget, adding that Kwara has been blessed by his leadership.
Members of Saraki’s Constituency office also had an inspection tour to the nearly completed Agba Dam waterworks expansion site. The multimillion naira project was flagged off last year.
