From Beatrice GONDYI, Bauchi
Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi state has constructed new 270 primaries/junior secondary classrooms and renovated 405 others within the state at a total cost of N3 billion since he assumed office one year ago.
This was revealed by projects site engineer with the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBED), Engr. Bello to journalists inspecting projects executed by the PDP-led government in the state within its one year of assumption to office.
Bello said at the site project in one of the schools at 1000 Housing Estate in Bauchi Tuesday that the projects were executed in partnership between SUBEB and Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEB) with N1.5 billion each counterpart funding, saying work on the projects was in tandem with standard specification.
The projects inspection media team was also told that 16 other special school projects were executed by the state government across the state at a total cost of N500 million aimed at promoting the development of basic education.
Sites Projects Engineer with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Mukhtar Mohammed Musa in Bauchi told the journalists at the Yelwa Practicing School of the former Bauchi Teachers College, that the school established in 1931 was fully renovated and a solar-powered borehole sunk in its premises, which was also fenced.
Engr. Musa explained that 16 various projects across the state were either newly constructed or renovated under collaborative efforts between the State Office of SDGs and the Conditional Grant Scheme (CGS) of the Federal Government with 50 per cent each counterpart funding.
Engr. Mukhtar Musa explained that the projects which were executed in hard-to-reach areas of the state included the provision of equipment, furniture, as well as teaching and learning materials.
The media team also inspected the 6.2km Jos road – Dass road bye-pass where the Permanent Secretary in the State Ministry of Works, Engr. Stephen Abubakar said the project being executed at a cost of N2.2billion has reached 85% completion.
At the State Water Treatment Plant at the Gubi Dam site where rehabilitation and expansion programmes are being undertaken, visiting journalists were told by the Project Engr. Abdulmumini Mailafia that works on the projects is going according to specification.
Engr. Mailafia said both the rehabilitation works on the existing system that provides 45 million litres, and the expansion programme that will provide 75 million litres of clean water to Bauchi metropolis and environs have reached appreciable stages of completion
Also speaking, Acting project manager of LUTECH PRATIBHA JV Construction Company, an Indian coy undertaking the expansion works, Mr Nanda Kumar said the company undertakes both the rehabilitation and expansion programmes of the project.
Kumar said, “In the rehabilitation of the treatment plant, we are increasing the capacity from 37, 000 cubic meters per day to 45, 000 cubic meters per day. And we are expanding the project from 45, 000 cubic meters per day to 75, 000 cubic meters per day”.
