Tinubu commissions 194km water network, declares end to neglect of FCT satellite towns

By Adebola Isimijola, Lagos

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday commissioned a 194-kilometre water supply network serving Karu, Orozo, Jikwoyi, Kurudu and adjoining communities in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), declaring that the era of neglect of satellite towns was over.

The President said the project would provide treated and potable water to thousands of residents and formed part of his administration’s efforts to expand critical infrastructure and improve living conditions in underserved communities under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

Represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the commissioning ceremony in Kurudu, Abuja, Tinubu said the intervention underscored government’s commitment to ensuring that development reached communities on the outskirts of the nation’s capital.

A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications (Office of the Vice President), Stanley Nkwocha, quoted the President as saying that governance under his administration would no longer be confined to city centres while residents in satellite communities lacked basic amenities.

“We are here not just to cut a ribbon, but to breathe life into a fundamental human right that has eluded this bustling community for far too long. Today, we declare that the era of neglect for our satellite towns is officially over,” he said.

Tinubu recalled that when the Greater Abuja Water Supply Project was commissioned about a year ago, he directed that water infrastructure should be extended beyond the capital city’s elite districts to communities where the majority of the working population reside.

“The metropolitan loops must not end in the elite districts. They must stretch. They must expand into our satellite towns, where the heartbeat of Abuja’s working-class population truly resides,” he said.

The President explained that his administration approved funding for the Karu Water Supply Project without bureaucratic delays because of its importance to public health and economic development.

According to him, the project delivered by CGC Nigeria Limited comprises more than 194 kilometres of secondary and tertiary pipeline networks that will provide safe and potable water directly to homes in Karu, Orozo, Jikwoyi, Kurudu and neighbouring communities.

Tinubu commended the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, for driving the implementation of critical infrastructure projects across the territory.

He said the ongoing transformation in transportation, healthcare, education, housing, road construction and water infrastructure in the FCT demonstrated what could be achieved through purposeful leadership and effective execution of government policies.

The President noted that despite decades of population growth in Karu and surrounding communities, many residents had depended on unsafe boreholes and water vendors for their daily water needs.

He urged beneficiaries to protect the facilities from vandalism and illegal connections, stressing that the infrastructure was built with public resources for the benefit of the people.

“This infrastructure belongs to you. It was built with your commonwealth and designed for your well-being,” he said.

Tinubu also disclosed that similar water projects were being extended to Bwari and other area councils as part of efforts to deepen urban renewal and rural integration across the FCT.

Earlier, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike expressed appreciation to the President for supporting the execution of people-oriented projects across the territory, particularly in satellite communities.

He said the completion of the water scheme was in line with the President’s directive to extend critical infrastructure and improve the quality of life of residents in all parts of the FCT.

Minister of State for the FCT, Dr Mariya Bunkure, also commended Tinubu and Shettima for their support in transforming the infrastructure landscape of the nation’s capital.

In his overview of the project, Executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Engr. Richard Yunana Dauda, said the scheme utilised the existing reservoir in Karu and connected more than 1,000 distribution lines to serve residents and businesses in the area.

Dauda described the project as a significant milestone in improving access to potable water for residents of Karu, Jikwoyi, Kurudu and adjoining communities.