PROTOCOL
It is my pleasure to address you at this occasion of the commissioning of the Sabke, Dutsi and Mashi Water Supply Schemes and Sabke Irrigation Project that are meant to serve the good people of Daura, Mai’adua, Dutsi & Mashi Towns of Katsina State.
2. Water supply for human, livestock and plants as well as other uses is crucial for socio¬-economic development. Its availability in sufficient quantity and quality is a first-step to poverty alleviation. As we are all aware, the Administration of President Mohammadu Buhari, GCFR places a lot of emphasis on activities that will improve the quality of life of Nigerians. It is for this same reason that the President has infrastructure development as one of the cardinal policy thrusts of his administration.
3. The provision of potable water supply and sanitation has been the responsibility of the three tiers of government, i.e. Federal, State and Local Governments. The Federal Government, through our Ministry, provides the overall policy framework, general coordination, monitoring and evaluation. The State and Local Governments are expected to provide potable water to the citizens living in the urban and rural areas respectively, within the established federal policy framework.
4. The Federal Government’s direct involvement in the provision of water supply facilities is an intervention that is meant to accelerate access to potable water in the country towards meeting national and internationally set targets. Where such intervention water facilities have been completed, the usual practice is for them to be handed over to either the State Government, Local Government or Communities through their established Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Committees (WASHCOMs) for appropriate operation and maintenance depending on the nature and size of the facilities. Today, it is the turn of Sabke, Dutsi and Mashi Water Supply Schemes to be handed over to Katsina State Government.
5. The Sabke Dam, Irrigation and Water Supply Project was first conceived under the defunct Petroleum (Special) Trust Fund (PTF) in 1998 under the then PTF Chairman, General Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR and glory be to Allah that, after several years of neglect, we have the projects being commissioned today under Administration of the same President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR.
6. The Sabke Water Supply Scheme is a conventional Water Treatment Plant with a capacity to provide 4,370m3/day or 1MGD of potable water to Daura and Mai’adua areas. The Dutsi and Mashi Water Schemes are package plants with each having capacity to provide 1,000 m3/day or about 250,000 gallons of treated water per day to Dutsi and Mashi inhabitants. In all, the three plants have a combined capacity to serve over 100,000 people daily. We have also provided for the construction of 38 borehole schemes to serve all the villages along the Sabke-Daura water transmission pipeline.
7. I am particularly delighted that the objectives of providing access to potable water supply to the people living in these communities are being achieved today. With the commissioning of the schemes, I am convinced that incidences of water borne diseases will be curtailed while sanitation and personal hygiene will be improved and income generation will be enhanced thereby bringing about general positive changes in the overall socio-economic well-being of the people of the communities.
8. The Sabke Irrigation has a gross area of 1,200 hectares for enhanced agricultural production. I am delighted to inform you that the irrigation facility has been fully completed and adequate post management plan is in process to hand over the project to Sokoto Rima River Basin Development Authority for irrigation farming by the benefiting communities.
9. Your Excellency, Ladies and Gentlemen, It is our hope that these water facilities will be sustainably operated and maintained so as to provide long term service to the people living in these communities. This will require the involvement of all stakeholders from the State Policy Makers to Operators and Water Users. There is the need to create the enabling environment that will make the operators to perform their duties as required and for the water users to optimally contribute to the running cost of the facilities within their affordability.
10. Permit me, at this juncture, to congratulate the Government and people of Katsina State, particularly the communities to be served by these water facilities. I enjoin you all to safeguard these laudable water schemes and ensure their functionalities at all times.
11. This address will not be complete without expressing our profuse appreciation to President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, my colleagues at the Federal Executive Council, Ecological Fund Office for giving the required approvals and supports for completion of the projects. I will also like to commend the efforts of our consultants, contractors and indeed our staff that worked assiduously to complete the projects.
12. Finally, it is my honor and privilege to commission the Sabke Water Supply & Irrigation Schemes to the glory of God and benefits of the good people Katsina State.
13. I thank you all for your attention.
