The Vice President of Nigeria, Mohammed Namadi Sambo has in the caucus meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held recently in Kaduna State said that the North-West, particularly Kaduna State has benefitted from the Transformation Agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan.
While commending PDP stakeholders for upholding the enviable position which the party has occupied in the State as well as Kaduna environs, he tinted some of the benefits of the transformation agenda in Kaduna State. He noted the expediency in being informed about the progress so far attained in Kaduna state, the North-West and the North as a whole in terms of positive development.
“The Gurara and Galma Dam projects when fully completed will impact on the socio-economic life of our people. Apart from the raw water that is already being enjoyed in Abuja, the thirty megawatts Gurara Dam hydro-power generation plant has been completed. The President has also granted approval for the sum of thirty-seven billion naira for the completion of the 132 kilovolts transmission line in the Kaduna industrial area as well as the utilization of about ten megawatts at the catchment area of the dam. 6,000 hectares of land for irrigation scheme and a graduate agricultural training school is to be established in the area,” he said.
VP Sambo stated that the road construction to connect Gurara to Kachia is on-going, whilst a large-scale fisheries activity and tourism facility are available at the dam; adding that the contract for the Itisi Multi-purpose Dam has been completed. He further disclosed that on completion of work, the dam will generate 40 megawatts of electricity and about 30,000 hectares of land for irrigation.
The Vice President stressed that work has reached completion stage on the 215 megawatts thermal power plant to be commissioned in 2014. Also, the Zungeru and Mambila Dams when completed would generate 7,000 megawatts and 3,050 megawatts of electricity respectively.
Speaking on the transport sector, Namadi Sambo said that the Kaduna-Abuja fast-rail line has reached advanced stage of completion and the standard gauge rail lines which run through numerous villages in Kaduna State would be completed and commissioned. He further revealed that with the opening up of the Kaduna-Jere-Abuja Road, Kaduna has been connected to the FCT and with availability of electricity will become the hub of economic activity in the North.
Tremendous work, he said is being done in the education sector such as the Almajiri education, the university system with nine out of twelve new federal universities located in the north and progress in the agricultural sector where about 1.1 trillion of rice is produced locally.
Sambo urged members of the PDP in the State to shun all misconducts from those who are seeking to destroy the party, saying they should unite to strengthen the party as it has made its mark and improved the well-being of people.
In his remark at the occasion, the Governor of Kaduna State, Murkhtar Ramalan Yero informed that he has been working to stabilize democracy and unite the people of the State since the death of the former Governor, Patrick Yakowa.
He expressed regret for having inherited a budget shortfall of N89 billion in 2013 and a debt profile of N63 billion since 1963, noting that the debt has now been reduced to N43 billion. “Despite this, some landmark achievements have been done in the areas of road construction, agriculture, education, health and others. The State will embark on revenue generation activities to drive development in 2014. The populace needs to work together towards building up a strong party in the State,” he indicated.
Earlier in his comments, the State PDP Chairman, A. G. Haruna observed that despite the challenges and overblown media report on defectors, PDP is still strong in Kaduna State. He pledged the peoples’ support for President Goodluck Jonathan, Vice President Namadi Sambo and the entire PDP.
Abiola Alaba Peters
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