Bauchi spends N3b to construct, renovate 270 blocks of classrooms in one year

In the first year of the Sen Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir led PDP administration in Bauchi State, a total of 270 classrooms for both primary and secondary schools worth N3 billion have been constructed across the state.

The disclosure was made by projects site Engineer with the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Engr. Bello Zubairu while briefing journalists who were on an inspection tour of projects executed by the administration in the state within its one year of assumption to office.

Bello Zubairu also said at the site project in one of the schools at 1000 Housing Estate in Bauchi that the projects were executed in partnership between SUBEB and Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEB) with the sum of N1.5 billion each as counterpart funding, saying that work on the projects was in tandem with standard specifications.

The projects inspection media team was also told that 16 other special schools 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.

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On its own the State Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through its Sites Projects Engineer, Mukhtar Mohammed Musa 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.

Mukhtar Musa also 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% each as counterpart funding.

Engr. Mukhtar Musa further explained that the projects which were executed in hard-to-reach (HTR) 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

Tribune Online reports that Acting project manager of Lutech Pratibha JV Construction Company, an Indian coy undertaking the expansion works, Mr Nanda Kumar said that the company undertakes both the rehabilitation and expansion programmes of the project.

Nandar Kumar said that “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”.

He explained that both the rehabilitation and expansion works are going smoothly, as the projects are expected to be completed by June this year, but expressed hope that there will be some extension on the scheduled period.

Nanda Kumar revealed that the rehabilitation is almost 60% completion while the expansion reaches 50% completion, disclosing further that the company will rehabilitate the old sub-station, as well as building a new one at the site.