Katsina State government says it has spent about N38.3 billion on roads and rural electrification projects across the 34 local government areas in the state.
Disclosing this yesterday when the National Good Governance Team visited the state, the State Governor, Dr. Ibrahim Shema, represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Works, Mr. Rabiu Ibrahim, said that his administration from inception decided to improve on the standard set by the late Umaru Yar’Adua, which explains the zeal, commitment and sincerity with which he steers the affairs of the state as well as the resultant success that has so far been achieved.
The governor who said that the administration spent N36.7 billion on 32 road projects covering over 500 kilometers disclosed that 25 of these roads were initiated by the new administration, while eight others were inherited and completed. N1.6 billion was spent on rural electrification, which connected over 63 communities scattered in the 34 LGAs to the national grid.
Some of the roads include: Ingawa township roads dualization; asphating of Mando junction – Faskari – Yankara roads; Katsina township roads, phase V and Turai Yar’ Adua Hospital Road. Others are: connection of Gigiwa, Kazomawa, Garin Labo, Garazawa and Kunduru communities to the national grid.
According to the governor, the achievement was possible because of the introduction of Community Development Committees, CDCs, which he said had effectively assisted the administration for the identification and execution of relevant development projects in the state.
“Right from the beginning, he decided to use the record of the last administration to serve as a standard on which he must improve.
“It is the rich information that he collates from the CDCs that enables him to verify the basic requirements of every community.
“This makes it easy for the state government to always get it right in terms of project execution.
“It is a strategy that provides the respective communities in the state with the opportunity to determine the kind of projects that are most relevant to their varying needs, which makes it easier for the state government to provide such projects in the right places at the right time,” he said.
Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku in his remarks commended the governor for continuing the good work his predecessor started, and for linking up the rural communities to the rest the state as he notes it will boost the state’s economy.
