On Tuesday, November 21, one Inusa Ahmed Kabo, a resident of Zaria, wrote an “Open Letter to Governor Ganduje,” which was published in Daily Trust newspapers. In his letter, he reminded His Excellency, Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of the ongoing construction of Janguza-Durum-Kabo-Karaye road. Inusa who also claimed to be an indigene of Kano state misinformed the public in his letter that the road project was awarded by the immediate-past administration of Engr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. He also claimed that the road which was mentioned in the 2017 budget has been lying abandoned despite the money approved for the award of the contract. I am, however, surprised that Inusa cannot differentiate between abandoned project and ongoing project, because currently, contractors are on site working on the project.
In as much as Inusa, as an indigene of Kano state and a Nigerian citizen has every right to draw the attention of Governor Ganduje to issues such as this, especially, when it concerns to the welfare of the people which the Governor has sworn to protect at all times, Inusa’s “open letter to Governor Ganduje” on the road project is not correct. If Inusa is sincerely not being mischievous, he might have been flying the kite of one big man whose concern is to misinform the public through misrepresentation of facts, with the sole aim of discrediting the good work Governor Ganduje is doing in Kano state.
To put the records straight, the road project in question is an eight-kilometre road awarded in March, 2009, by the administration of former Governor, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau (Sarduanan Kano). In fact, Engr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso refused to complete the road project when he assumed office in 2011. Engr. Kwankwaso, in his usual manner, abandoned that project. It is on record that Engr. Kwankwaso in his eight years as Governor of Kano state did not touch any uncompleted project left behind by his predecessors, right from the era of the first military governor of Kano state, Audu Bako.
Records available to the public have also shown that the number of projects awarded and abandoned by Engr. Kwankwaso are far greater than the number of projects he completed in his two-term as the governor of Kano state. It might interest Inusa if I recall a number of abandoned and uncompleted projects by Engr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso such as Yahaya Gusau road, Wuju-Wuju road, Dakata Bella road, New Road (face one) in Sabon Gari, Murtala Mohammed Way Fly-Over, Kabuga Fly-Over, Prince Abubakar Audu Fly-Over, to mention but a few. Most of these projects have been completed by Governor Ganduje. There is also a major project he initiated with so much hype, but abandoned-the five-kilometre roads in each of the 44 Local Government Areas which the minimum contract cost is over N1.2 billion. Governor Ganduje’s administration has so far, completed the five-kilometre roads in over 15 Local Government Areas.
If Inusa’s intention of writing an “open letter to Governor Ganduje” is genuine, one wonders why he could assume that the project which contractors are currently working on is abandoned! The very road project currently being handled by TEC ENGINEERING COMPANY (NIG) LTD with AG&PARTNERS as the consultant, has been expanded by Governor Ganduje, with three additional bridges, including provision of piling, precast parapet walls, concrete walkaway, drain pipe, and provision of approach roads. The scope of work also include construction of pipe culverts, construction of box culverts and replacement of surface dressing on carriageway with asphalt concrete wearing course, among other modifications.
In view of the compelling need to upgrade the project to a befitting status, it was subsequently revised at the beginning of Governor Ganduje’s administration, replacing the two-coat surface dressing with asphaltic concrete wearing course. Considering the importance of the road to the socio-economic activities of Rogo, Karaye, Kabo, Rimin Gado and Gwarzo Local Government Areas, Governor Ganduje has continued to show personal concern on the project. In fact, he has ensured that the contractors are well mobilized and work is currently ongoing on the site, as the contractors have promised to complete the project within the stipulated time.
On this note, I advise Inusa to go back and cross-check facts. He is free at any time to visit the site and assess the level of work going on there.
Malam Muhamad Garba is Kano state Commissioner for Information, Youths and Culture.
