Abdul Jelil Adebayo
He has paid his dues and a thorough bred manager of human resources is he.
Amiable workaholic who is determined to get the best out of any ugly situation. He has the Midas touch as within months of being in charge of FCT Water Board, the fortunes of the agency is on the rise.
In the spirit of renewed Hope Agenda which the FCT minister, Myesom Wike is pursuing with vigour, Daniel Salka Audu has not relent in following the footsteps of his principal, the minister, in turning around the fortunes of Water Board into a formidable money spinning agency of government.
As acting General Manager, Salka has changed the narrative and the revenue of the agency into the FCT internal revenue is daily increasing.
Easy going but hardworking Salka came prepared with a mission to succeed and to transform FCT Water Board from a mere service oriented agency to a business concern. He took over hitting the ground running and therefore adding value to the provision of potable water in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
Salka who was the most senior director took over the reins when Engineer Tauheed Abayomi Amusan, among other political appointees in FCT were relieved of their job and position. And since then, the agency is transforming into a money spinning agency of and for government.
Since his appointment, he is determined to succeed and since then his eyes have not shifted from the goal of success.
The GM doesn’t pretend that he knows everything and with determination and God by his side, he has success story to narrate as he has upped the ante of where the agency was hitherto to one that his principal, the FCTA, staff and customers of the agency are appreciative of the laudable achievements being recorded under his supervision.
With about 15,000 cubic meters per hour, and about 131 million cubic meters per annum, the FCT Water Board is one of the best potable water providers not only in Nigeria but in the sub region.
As a government utility organisation saddled with the responsibilities of providing safe, adequate and affordable water supply service in the FCT, Salka has not failed in that aspect despite the challenges along its path of operations. The burst pipeline to Nyanya/Karu notwithstanding, the generated revenue has not dropped. Having a listening minister, the repairs would soon be rectified.
He told the staff that he will pursue with vigour the mandate of the agency which has the sole responsibility of providing safe, adequate and affordable water supply in accordance with World Health Organization and Nigerian drinking water quality standards to residents of FCT.
And with six departments and seven operational units and 16 Area offices, the agency is bridging the whooping gap between demand and supply of the all important product, portable water in the fastest growing city in Africa.
As at today only 40 per cent supply requirements in the capital city, the task before the acting GM was visibly challenging, but the seasoned administrator in him has reinforced the commitment of staff to put in their best and encourage the consumer to pay with less prodding.
He has designed competent workable solution to the perennial water flow shortages by ensuring adequate support supplies from Gurara dam in Kachia local government area of Kaduna state to the Lower Usman Dam, LUD traditional supply source of the water treatment plant.
The plant has six storage tanks and 13 booster stations for high elevation. The Board has 55,000 customers that it services. Among them are many multinational companies such as Julius Berger, Dantata and Sawoe, CGC, Coca Cola, Transcorp Hilton, 7up, NNPC, Nnamdi Azikiwe international airport, military formations and barracks as well as governmental institutions, and the Presidential Villa, inclusive all fall within the areas of coverage of the Board.
He doesn’t suffer corrupt people easily as he has warned the staff to desist from collecting cash from customers with the claim to helping them pay. He vowed that any staff caught would be dealt with accordingly; this he said would stem tide of corruption among its 1,400 staff.
When he took over, the monthly revenue was about #295 million monthly, but now the revenue has increased to #320 million for the month of October, the highest in the history of the agency so far.
It will be recalled that the Abuja Water supply infrastructural development plan was designed to be implemented in phases, which unfortunately was not followed hence the hiccups in smooth flow of water to every crannies of the territory.
He said every responsible agency concerned with the delivery of water would certainly want to increase its supply to 100% because by so doing one would have been able to address several other socio-economic factors; Water supply is connected to virtually all human endeavor.
Meanwhile, there are associated trunk mains for treated water and 13 booster stations for high elevation located at Maitama, Asokoro, Karu, Kubwa Airport, University of Abuja Permanent Site, Bwari and Gwagwalada.
In exercising the autonomy bestowed on the Board by FCT Water Board (Establishment) Act 2017, the Board needing the approval of the Minister proposes the re-positioning and establishment of the Board’s financial autonomy, which will boost the IGR drive and further requesting that 35 per cent of the IGR be retained as operational cost to run the agency.
Whenever this approval is eventually given, the Board has the potential to improve the IGR to a minimum of #1 billion monthly, it was learnt.
In spite of these challenges, Salka said the Board is serving the city with potable water, payment of outstanding liabilities to contractors owed, increment in urban water supply coverage, automation of some of its activities including the billing and payroll.
The challenges are numerous just as it is expected of human endeavours which include: increase in population without corresponding increase investment in water supply infrastructure. Aging infrastructure, delay in rehabilitation of the existing water treatment plants at LUD, causing low efficiency to 47%, lack of on job specialised training and vandalisation of appurtenances on the trunk mains. Multiple water inlets to some high-rise structures.
However, in spite of these challenges here and there, the Board is desirous to have 100 per cent water supply coverage to FCT; have 24 hours water supply in all areas of Abuja which is possible with determination.
All said and done Daniel Salka Audu has changed the narrative of FCT Water Board for good.
. Abdul, an Abuja based journalist, writes via abduljelil2001@gmail.com