18^TH September 2008

PRESS STATEMENT

In our bid to provide succour to the good people of our dear State and in pursuance to the spirit and letter of the 11-Point Agenda, we have in furtherance to our other existing activities decided in our today’s Council Meeting as follows:

REGIONAL WATER SUPPLY PROJECTS:

(a)              To award contract to Messrs Mothercat Nigeria Ltd for the construction of water treatment plant of 150M/L day at the cost of N15.7 billion so as to solve once and for all the Zaria Regional perennial water problem with a completion period of 3 years.

(b)             The Federal Government is financing the construction of the dam at about N9bn which will give the raw water. The design capacity shall be sustained up to year 2025.

(c)               Reticulation, water distribution network and storage is also undergoing feasibility studies  as the design have been completed to as to prepare and be able to approach the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), World Bank and the Kuwaiti Fund for Soft Loan Financing in the sum of 8.8bn. In view of time constraints already the World Bank is assisting the state with an initial $50m and recently an increase additional $22m totaling $72m for the rehabilitation works of our water supply in Zonkwa, Saminaka, Kaduna Metropolis and Zaria. The rehabilitation work will improve the existing capacity to manage the sustenance of the existing water supply.

(d)             The benefiting communities in the Zaria Regional Water Supply Project shall include Zaria, Dambo, Maigana, Soba, Dutsen Wai, Kubau and Pambegua. Others include Shika, Giwa, Marraraban Yakawada, Basawa, Hunkuyi and Kudan.

(e)              Council has also directed for the processing of the appointment of consultants to prepare designs for the Kachia Regional Water Supply Scheme, which happens to be the only remaining large town in Zone III of the State that has no proper water treatment plant for its community

(f)               The total expected expenditure on water supply across the state will be in the region of about N30.8bn.

(g)              I am seizing this opportunity to inform you that the design for the Kaduna Regional Water Expansion Scheme has reached an advanced stage and the estimated cost of the project is about $300m.

2.       HEALTH

(a)        Council has approved the construction of the 200 bedroom specialist hospital that was promised. It will be constructed at the cost of N4.bn by Messrs Nahman Construction Ltd at the new Kaduna City. This project should be completed in 30 months and on completion it is planned that the hospital shall provide state-of-the-art medical health services to the Kaduna State citizens and in fact all Nigerians. This surely will reduce the frequent trips abroad by our people to seek for good medical services.

(b)       The hospital shall have the dual advantage of training of our indigenous doctors for the State University. We shall soon commence the sourcing of development partners on a Public-Private Partnership (PPA) with particular emphasis on specialist hospital companies that will partner with us in equipping and management of the hospital.

3.    SECURITY 

The Council has approved the construction of the new Mobile Police Barracks in Zaria. This is to enhance the security position in the State at the cost of N480 million.

4.       ADMINISTRATION

The council has approved the expansion of the administrative wing of the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House (Government House) at the cost of N2.9bn to Messrs Julius Berger PLC with a construction period of 2 years. This is necessary in view of the lack of proper and adequate enabling working environment which has made it impossible for all the supporting staff to be accommodated within the government house which is affecting the normal service that government provides

5.       HOUSING

The Kaduna State Government has reached an advanced stage in the provision of Housing for Low-Income Earners and the Civil Servants in Kaduna State. Similarly, the development of the 1^st phase of the 1500 houses has reached an advanced stage which will consist of the construction of 1000 houses in the new city in Kaduna, 300 houses in Kafanchan and 200 houses in Zaria.

6.       TRANSPORTATION

Railway

Council has been informed of the progress of the improvement of the Railway Transportation implemented by the State Government. In this regard, the Railway Transport Company is registered and is called Kaduna State Transport Service Limited. The company shall from now on be responsible for the implementation of Railway Services in Kaduna State and Nigeria in general.

Council has been reliably informed that the statewide railway service shall commence from Sanga bordering Plateau State to Ikara Local Government bordering Kano State, the service shall commence by the end of October 2008.

In addition to that, the company is arranging to procure pre-owned coaches from the United Kingdom because the ones currently in use were manufactured in the 1950s while those to be procured were current coaches manufactured in 1998.

The company is planning to construct a new railway line that will form a loop to connect from Zaria to Ikara Local Government, Lere, Kauru and Kajuru Local Governments.

This will improve the economic activities of these areas. The company is also planning through the advice of consultants to construct a fast train line that will connect the Kaduna New Town with Abuja City.

With these service deliveries, we hope that our good people shall give us all the necessary cooperation to ensure that we succeed in our quest to serve the state diligently. We call on all to join us in our task of making the State the frontline one in the country. This is a task that we must collectively pursue.

Thank you and God bless.

ARC MOHAMMED NAMADI SAMBO

EXECUTIVE GOVERNOR

KADUNA STATE