NEDC hands over constructed Fire Service Station to ATBU
From Umar Mohd
The North East Development Commission ((NEDC) has constructed and handed over a new Fire service station to the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, ATBU.
The Minister of State for Regional Development, Alhaji Uba Maigari Ahmadu, yesterday handed over a newly constructed Fire Service Station and water reservoir to the University at Gubi Campus, Bauchi State, to improve safety and improve access to potable water within the university and its host community.
The two facilities were executed by the North East Development Commission (NEDC) as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen critical infrastructure in tertiary institutions as well as providing social corporate responsibilities across the North-East region.
According to the Minister, the project comprises administrative offices, a fire tower, truck bay, fire truck, and water reservoir, designed to support effective emergency response and water supply.
He urged members of the university community to take ownership of the project, stressing that proper utilisation and maintenance would assure government that public funds were judiciously spent and appreciated by beneficiaries.
He assured that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains committed to supporting infrastructure development under the Ministry of Regional Development, a support that has enabled the execution of impactful projects across the region.
Earlier speaking, the Managing Director/CEO of the NEDC, Alhaji Mohammed Alkali, said the project underscored the federal government’s commitment to rebuilding the North-East and providing institutions with infrastructure needed for sustainable development.
He explained that such intervention was necessitated by the need to protect lives and properties in the event of fire outbreaks within the university community but urged the university management to properly maintain the facilities to achieve the objectives for which they were provided.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on the North-East Development Commission, Hon. Usman Zannah, commended the Commission for executing projects that directly improve the living standards of people across the subregion.
In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of ATBU, Prof. Ibrahim Hassan Garba, described the fire service station as a “beacon of security” for the university and neighboring communities.
Represented by the University Librarian, Dr. Dauda Adamu, the Vice-Chancellor commended the Federal Government and the NEDC for the intervention, assuring that the university would fully integrate the facility into its emergency response system through regular training programmes and safety workshops.
The VC commended Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, for his continued support for developmental initiatives in the state especially in providing infrastructures across the state.
Meanwhile, the Minister and his team also inspected the ongoing construction of Government Senior Secondary School, Bauchi, awarded by the NEDC.
