The Plateau State Government has signed a ₦13.5 billion contract with the China Geo-Engineering Corporation for the rehabilitation of the Laminga and Yakubu Gowon water treatment plants in the state.
Governor Caleb Mutfwang signed the contract on behalf of the state government on Friday in Jos.
Mutfwang, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Samuel Jatau, said the agreement reflected his administration’s commitment to ensuring the steady provision of potable water to residents within the Greater Jos Master Plan.
He explained that the bidding process for the contract underwent due diligence before CGC was awarded the project.
According to him, the rehabilitation of the treatment plants is time-bound and is expected to be completed by December 2026.
The governor urged the contractor to adhere strictly to the stipulated guidelines, quality standards, and project specifications, assuring that the government had made funds available to ensure the completion of the projects within the set timeframe.
Earlier, the Managing Director of the Jos Water Services Corporation, Mr. Apollos Samchi, commended the governor for paying the “counterpart fund to the French Development Agency (AFD),” which paved the way for the execution of the project.
Samchi noted that the project, which was inherited from the previous administration, had stalled due to a lack of counterpart funding.
“The Yakubu Gowon water treatment plant, which supplies about 80 per cent of water to Jos and its environs, has not been rehabilitated in the last 50 years.
“By the time these treatment plants are rehabilitated, it will greatly boost our capacity to ensure effective water circulation within Jos and neighbouring communities,” he said.
He also lauded the governor for providing three water tankers to the corporation and for the rehabilitation of 60 motorised boreholes and 300 wells in areas yet to be connected to the main water network.
In his remarks, the Team Lead of CGC, Mr. Ke You Cheng, assured the state government that the company would deliver the projects within the agreed timeframe and specifications.
(NAN)
