From Paul Orude Bauchi
The Bauchi State Government has awarded four major road projects in Bauchi, the state capital at the cost of N13.6 billion under the Urban Renewal Project.
The roads construction were flagged off simultaneously by the People Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus and Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal at a ground breaking ceremony in Bauchi on Wednesday.
While Secondus flagged off the road dualisation from Giwo Academy to Abubakaer Tafawa Balewa International Airport and Awalah Roundabout to Bauchi State University, Tambuwal , who is the Chairman PDP Governors Forum flagged off daulisation of Sam Nujoma Road from Dogon Yaro to Zaranda Hotel.
Speaking at the ceremony, Governor Bala Mohammed lamented that the state capital was far behind in terms of infrastructural development compared to other state capitals created along with it in 1976 and new state capitals that were crated in the 1990s.
“I will not be caught in blame game of why Bauchi is stagnated. I go with the dictum that action speaks louder than words. We embark on plans to drive development of the state hence we introduced the urban renewal project as a process of change to target current and future needs to meet our development needs to catch up with our contemporaries,” he said
The Governor attributed the massive road projects awarded by his administration since assumption of office to prudent management of the state’s resources.
“We are not getting extra money everywhere but freeing resources to save money. There are lots of resources in government’s treasury,” he said.
The governor said the dearth of infrastructure in the state capital is attributed to the failure of past administrations to judiciously utilize resources accruing to government.
“They were not using funds judiciously but my administration would ensure money is not parried away. There was pressure for me to probe the past administration but what I will do is to work to the extent that others will probe them because they will know there was a problem and they will be buried politically and the evidence of what we are doing will put them to shame. What we are doing is not a miracle but making good use of the money, blocking leakages and improve revenue generation,” he said
In his remarks, Secondus said that the Bauchi Governor was exception as he was putting smiles on the faces of his people.
“You all knew how he performed well as FCT minister and now he is putting smiles on people face in terms of massive transformation. We congratulate the governor and his teeming supporters because he has made us proud, and all the PDP governors are proud of him
“We have been told of how the roads were completed within 100 days in Bauchi and these ones we are flagging off will have huge impact because it will raise standard of living and bring massive transformation to the state capital,” the PDP National Chairman said.
“These roads projects show that Governor Mohammed believes in the people and has fulfilled his promise and we salute his courage and this is how leaders should behave.
“Power when given comes from God and with power you must show humility and you have demonstrated that you are for Bauchi’s interest. You are the servant of the people and have demonstrated that Bauchi is seeing that you are one person that will bring all the prmises and more to the people.
“When these roads are completed, I believe tht in the north east Bauchi will take its roper place of the centre of business activity and be a hub where international flights will be received”
Tambuwal, , while also flagging off the daulisation of Sam Nujoma Road from Dogon Yaro to Zaranda Hotel and reconstruction of Adamu Jumba road, said the roads would be life touching and lifesaving.
“The Awalah Roundabout area is hugely populated and on this roads are campuses of the state university. The road will ease traffic and create ease of movement and doing businesses,” the Sokoto Governor said.
On the other roads, Tambuwal stated, the Adamu Jumba , would change the outlook of the GRA being the single detour to Government House
Tambuwal commended Mohammed for the milestone road projects saying he has left an indelible mark of performance.