STATEMENT OF SEN. KWANKWASO THAT THE NORTH IS MARGINALIZED ON ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT UNDER PRESIDENT TINUBU’S ADMINISTRATION, ABSOLUTELY FALSE, MISLEADING AND SELF-SERVING.

 


My attention as Honourable Minister of Works has been drawn to the unfortunate statement by His Excellency, Sen. Kwankwaso that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, is developing more roads in the South than in the North.

 

2. I consider this statement as a grave misleading information made intentionally to deceive our brothers and sisters in the North and to pretend that he loves the North more than any other leader from the North. I consider  Sen. Kwankwaso’s statement as statement made out of desperation and as part   of his struggle  with few others who believe that they can inherit the impeccable legacy of our dear late President  Mohammadu Buhari, GCFR and that the only way available for them  towards achieving same  is to be divisive and pretentious. Trying to be  like  our late President Buhari cannot be a job of three decades and  can not be done with deceit. I think our younger generation has such a chance and  which must be worked for through hard work, honesty, transparency and commitment to the unity of our country , a legacy that our late President Buhari, GCFR achieved in all his life on earth. May God continue to bless his legacies and give him a peaceful rest, Amen 

 

3. For the interest of all Nigerians, especially  our  dear brothers and sisters in the North, I wish to highlight  just a few key ongoing projects in each of the six Geo-Political Zones. 

 

4. The four legacy projects of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR:

a) Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, which is 750 km: As of today, a total of 110 km is ongoing within Lagos State and 65 km within Cross River and Akwa Ibom States. The total ongoing is 175 km  by 6 lanes or 350 km by 3 lanes in the South.

b) The Sokoto-Badagry  Superhighway, which is 1068km: As of today, we have 258 km ongoing at Kebbi section and 120 km ongoing at Sokoto section. Total ongoing is 378 km  by 6 lanes or 756 km by 3 lanes in the North.

c) Trans Sahara road spanning through Cross River - Ebonyi - Benue - Kogi - Nasarawa - Abuja, which is 465km: 118 km  by 3 lanes or 59 km by 6 lanes is ongoing in Ebonyi State - South.

d) Akwanga - Jos - Bauchi – Gombe road, which is 439km: Project is being redesigned from flexible pavement to rigid pavement for more durable pavement as directed by Mr. President and to conform to the other legacy projects. In the four legacy projects, the North has 52% and South 48%. Within the ongoing projects as of today, the South has 409 km by 3lanes and the North has  756km by 3 lanes . The facts are there. I wonder why people don’t talk about other legacy projects of Mr. President but will always dwell on Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway. This road has only 220 km by 3 lanes in Lagos State that is ongoing  now , crossriver and Akwaibom has 130km by 3 lanes that is ongoing whereas kebbi alone has 316 km  by 3 lanes that is ongoing. Sokoto has 240 km by 3 lanes that  is ongoing.   I think Sen.  Kwankwaso is not fair to Mr.President and the unity of our country 

 

5. The following major projects are  also ongoing in the North.

a)  Sokoto - Zamfara - Katsina - Kaduna road: This is 275 km dualized (750 km), costing about ₦824 Billion. This project is being handled by CBC, Triacta, Setraco, and Mothercat. Projects are ongoing mostly on reinforced concrete pavement. Despite the insecurity within this corridor, work is ongoing.

b) Abuja - Kaduna - Kano road: 350 km dualized  (700km) project is being  constructed on concrete pavement with a total sum of ₦764 Billion with Infiouest Nig Ltd and 30% of the contract sum already paid and work is ongoing.


-Sen. Engr. Nweze David Umahi, CON, FNSE, FNATE

Honourable Minister of Works