*Binani, former governors also expected
By; FUNMI ADERINTO, Kaduna
In what can be aptly described as a befitting parting gift for citizens of the state as his eight-year tenure winds up on May 29, Governor Nasir el-Rufai has invited several dignitaries to commission various infrastructural projects which are part of the Kaduna State Urban Renewal Programme of his administration.
Former Vice-President, Architect Namadi Sambo, ex national chairmen of the APC, Chiefs Bisi Akande and John Odigie-Oyegun, former governors and the two serving ministers from Kaduna State, Hajiya Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed and Dr. Mohammed Mahmood Abubakar, will commission the projects at different locations today.
A statement signed by Mr Muyiwa Adekeye, Special Adviser on Media and Communication, listed the projects to include the Safe City Command and Control Centre and the new Ungwan Rimi Market.
The statement which also listed the Umaru Yar’adua Road which links the Millennium City to the Eastern Bypass, the Isa Kaita Road and 10 other roads as projects to be commissioned, recalling that ‘’President Muhammadu Buhari commissioned the projects of the first phase of the Urban Renewal Programme in January 2021.’’
Adekeye explained that the choice of Arch Sambo as one of the dignitaries that will commission the projects, is because he is the highest-ranking elected official that Kaduna State has so far produced.
‘’Chief Bisi Akande, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Pastor Tunde Bakare and former governor Ali Modu Sheriff are being honored for their sterling roles in the merger of the parties that fused into the APC”.
He argued that Senator Aisha Dahiru Binani, the APC gubernatorial candidate in Adamawa State, ‘’has worked hard to break the glass ceiling limiting the political aspirations of women in Nigeria.’’
According to the Special Adviser, ‘’it is only right and proper to recognize the service of Hajiya Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed and Dr. Mohammed Mahmood Abubakar as ministers from Kaduna state.’’
‘’The projects to be commissioned are part of the comprehensive effort to expand and improve critical public infrastructure across the state through the Urban Renewal Programme and projects undertaken by the newly created metropolitan authorities’’, he added.
The statement pointed out that the projects, ‘’are a significant milestone for the state as they play a critical role in linking communities, attracting investment and promoting economic growth, while enhancing the quality of life for our citizens.’’
