By Stanley Onyekwere
The FCT Administration yesterday flagged off Lot 2: Karu water supply project within the Abuja Municipal Area Council of the Territory, in furtherance with its efforts to provide clean and potable water to residents especially those in rural areas of the FCT.
Performing the flag-off, the FCT Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike revealed that the project, which includes the installation of a 194-kilometer network of water pipelines, is in fulfillment of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s promise to extend essential infrastructure, particularly, clean drinking water, to FCT satellite towns.
Wike noted that similar projects were already underway in Bwari, with plans to extend to Kuje, Gwagwalada, Kwali and Abaji before the end of the President’s first term in office.
According to him, the project is a fundamental need for the people and a priority for President Tinubu, who has already approved the disbursement of 50 percent of the contract sum to ensure its timely completion.
He appealed to community leaders and youth to support the contractor, China Geoengineering Construction (CGC), as it has committed to completing the project by June 2026.
“You will no longer depend on digging your own borehole, drinking water that is not treated. Now you are going to drink water that is going to give you good health.
“This is one of the promises made by Mr. President when he commissioned the Greater Abuja Water Supply Scheme in June.
” He said he was also going to do this in the satellite towns and we have started with Bwari Area Council and AMAC.
“By the grace of God, by next year we will get to Kuje and Gwagwalada and, before Mr. President completes his first tenure, we would have gotten down to Kwali and Abaji.
“So, Mr. President would have fulfilled the promises he made in providing potable, clean water to satellite towns”, the minister stated.
Furthermore, he reiterated the commitment of the current administration to the development of the FCT satellite towns, notjing that other critical infrastructure initiatives in the region, including the recent rehabilitation of a 17-kilometer access road connecting Karu, Jikwoyi, Orozo, Kurudu, and Karshi and pledged to reconstruct a two-kilometer road within the Karu site area.
He explains: “Because we did not commission this road, many of you have forgotten that this 17 km road from Karu to Karshi was not passable. We did it.
“Now again, we are here to provide water for Karu, Orozo, Kurudu and other neighbouring communities”.
Similarly, FCT Minister of State, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud described water as one of the most essential resources for life and development.
According to her, “it sustains human health, supports agriculture, drives industry, and maintains ecosystems.”
Mahmoud, therefore, extend the administration’s profound appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for his Renewed Hope Agenda which continues to translate into tangible projects that directly impact the lives of rural communities.
Earlier, while giving an overview of the project, the FCDA Executive Secretary, Engr. Richard Yunana Dauda, disclosed that the construction and expansion of water supply in FCT satellite towns is a strategic infrastructure initiative that aligns with the FCT regional Masterplan, which provides for the concurrent development of both the Federal Capital City and its satellite towns.
Dauda added that the Karu project is an extension of the recently commissioned Greater Abuja Water Supply Project with a similar initiative recently embarked upon in Bwari, with provisions for other satellite towns to be addressed in due course.
According to him, the project, which is slated for completion next year, will establish the essential secondary and tertiary distribution network for the effective supply of water to the large population of Karu town and its environs.
He opines that during the construction phase, the project will create both direct and indirect employment opportunities.
He equally, said once completed
stressing that the project, it will provide safe, potable water to the residents of Karu, Kurudu, Jikwoyi, Orozo, and other surrounding communities in AMAC.
On his part, Lv Haiming, the Deputy Managing Director, CGC Nigeria Limited, the contractor handling the project, assured that the project would be executed without delay, in line with international standard.
End
Cleric advocates healthy living to escape Hepatitis, others
By Stanley Onyekwere
The Minister in charge of the First Baptist Church,Gwagwalada, Abuja, Reverend Deji Oyelami has admonished christians to always pay attention to their health, so as to enjoy a healthy life through obedience to the word of God.
Reading from 3 John chapter 1 verse 2, Reverend Deji Oyelami said the Church would continue to give priority to programmes that would promote healthy living in Christendom.
He spoke during the church’s 2025 Health Sunday with the theme: “You and Your Liver”, held to educate members of the church on the causes, prevention and treatment of liver related diseases most especially Hepatitis.
Also speaking, the Guest Speaker, Dr. Oje Ogbonnanya from the Gastroenterology and Hepatology Department, University of Abuja Teaching Hospital described hepatitis B and C as silent killers which has resulted to the death of millions of people the world over.
Dr Ogbonnanya said eight out of ten people are infected with hepatitis while about 20 million Nigerians have been infected with the disease and two billion people the world over.
According to him, hepatitis is being transmitted from mother to child during pregnancy, child to child during cohabitation, sharp objects during circumcision or hair cut, kissing and sexual intercourse among others.
He identified liver cancer or failure, yellowish eyes, swollen body, fever as some of the symptoms of the disease.
Furthermore, while highlighting screening and vaccination as means of treating and preventing hepatitis, Dr. Ogbonnanya advised the public to shun smoking, excessive consumption of alcohol, use of unprescribed drugs most especially “Agbo”, unprotected sexual intercourse, consumption of cholesterol food and engage in regular exercise as well as healthy eating.
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