Recalling the lifetime of the former
President, the late Umoru Musa Yar’Adua, President Goodluck Jonathan has
said that he might have remained the Governor of Bayelsa State, but for the
good role played by Yar’Adua.
He spoke in Katsina State on Thursday night
during the state banquet organized in his honour by the Katsina State
Government.
Without Yar’Adua, he went further to say that
he might not have become President of Nigeria.
He said: “My visits to Katsina are always a
kind of homecoming. As you all know, without the role played by your great son,
President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, in my political career, I would probably still
be in Yenagoa as Governor of Bayelsa State.
“Without him, I probably wouldn’t have been
President of Nigeria today. He was a very good boss. He was honest, forthright
and patriotic. He had a great vision for Nigeria and set out to do things in a
different and original manner. We all take consolation in the fact that he gave
his best during the short period that he served our country.
“If he were here today, I have no doubts that
he would be impressed with the visible transformation that is taking place
throughout the length and breadth of this state. Governor Shema and his able
team deserve commendation not only for initiating new projects, but also for
ensuring the completion of all the projects initiated by our late beloved
President Umaru Yar’Adua who, by providence, was his, and also my own
predecessor in office,” he added.
Commending the state governor, Ibrahim Shema,
he said: “Since our arrival this morning, we have gone round parts of the state
to inspect and commission projects, and the projects that I have seen, are
quite inspiring and highly commendable. They confirm what well-meaning
indigenes of the state have often told me about the government’s commitment to
improving the welfare of the people.
“Let me use this unique opportunity to
specially commend Governor Ibrahim Shema for the outstanding work that he is
doing. He has shown with his commitment that what matters most in governance
are the people, not politics. By justifying the trust that the people have
reposed in him, he has also made the Peoples Democratic Party, our great party
which he once served as Deputy National Chairman, very proud indeed.”
He extended his condolences to the government
of Katsina State, people of the state and families that lost loved ones in the
attacks on innocent villagers in Faskari and Sabuwa local government areas.
“We totally condemn the attacks which were
carried out by unidentified gunmen,” he said.
He also noted that Katsina State is an
important beneficiary of his administration’s nationwide road construction and
rehabilitation drive.
“In Katsina, our administration has already
completed the following roads: the Jibia – Kaura Namoda Road with a length of
97.10Km and the 97-kilometre Katsina-Daura Road at the total cost of N11
billion and the Funtua-Dayi – Yashi-Charanchi Junction of 166 kilometres at the
total cost of N5.6bilion.
“Apart from the completion of these roads,
the Federal Government has also awarded the contract for the dualisation of the
first phase of the Kano-Katsina Road to terminate at Yankamaye, the border
village between Kano and Katsina states.
“The construction of another 10 kilometres
road from Kankara to Gurbi, with a long span bridge which will provide a
short-cut from southern Katsina State to neighbouring Zamfara State, has also
been contracted,” he added.
The President also assured the people of the
state that the contract for the 2nd phase of the dualisation of the
Katsina-Kano Road from Yankamaye to Katsina metropolis will soon be awarded.
“The Federal Ministry of Transport has also
initiated discussions with the Katsina State government for the construction of
a dry port in Daura.
“We are also doing a lot in agriculture. As I
pointed out at the palace of His Majesty, the Emir of Katsina, we are
intervening in the agriculture sector, not as a rural development programme,
but as a business with emphasis on growth across the value-chains.
“Here in Katsina State, in 2013, 210,000
farmers benefited from the Federal Government Growth Enhancement Scheme, in
partnership with the Katsina State Government.
“As part of the Agricultural Transformation
Agenda, I launched the dry season farm support programme to increase our food
production and stimulate job creation for the youth. In 2013, over 3,300 rice
farmers from Katsina State benefited from the dry season rice farming support
of the Federal Government, with free seeds and subsidized fertilizers. The
impact was dramatic, as Katsina State rice farmers produced a record 13,000 MT
of paddy rice which added an estimated N1bn to the local economy and created
over 6,000 jobs.
“Katsina State is the largest producer of
cotton in Nigeria. The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
were supporting the revival of cotton production in partnership with the
Katsina State government. Over 65,000 cotton farmers in Katsina State received
improved cotton seeds and fertilizers. Four ginneries in Katsina State were
revived with financial support of the Federal Government.”
President Jonathan assured the people of the
state that the Wind Mill power project located in the Rimi Local Government
Area of the state will soon be completed.
He gave the assurance when he inspected the
10 megawatts power project during his two-day official visit to the state.
The Federal Government, he said, would work
with the state government to ensure the project is completed and put to use as
soon as possible.
The Ministry of Power officials who conducted
President Jonathan round the project told the President that the wind power
project, the first of its kind in West Africa, was 90 per cent completed and
would be ready for commissioning in three months.
The funds for its completion were said to
have been captured in the 2014 budget.
The project was stalled for some months in
2012, following the kidnap of one of the consultants.
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