President Bola Ahmed Tinubu flagged off the 122-kilometre Kaduna-Birnin Gwari road project on Tuesday, in fulfilment of his campaign promise as the then presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) over three years ago.

Represented by Governor Uba Sani, he recalled that on the 22nd December, 2022, Mr Tinubu came to Kaduna during the campaign and visited Birnin Gwari in defiance of security advice.

He said that at that time, Birnin Gwari was the epicentre of banditry, kidnapping and insurgency, but Mr Tinubu had argued that ‘’as someone who was aspiring to be president of Nigeria, he must visit Birnin Gwari.’’

According to the Governor, the then ‘’GOC of One Mechanised Division, the late General Lagbaja, gave us 21 Armoured Vehicles with military personnel, to Birnin Gwari.’’

‘’We left Kaduna at about 4: 00 p.m.; we arrived Birnin Gwari after four and a half hours because the road was bad and we got there around 8:30 p.m. At the Emir’s palace, His Royal Highness graciously honoured the presidential candidate with a traditional title.

Governor Sani disclosed that Mr Tinubu had ‘’promised that he will reconstruct the road from Mando in Kaduna to Birnin Gwari. He also promised that he will do everything to ensure that security and normalcy return to Birnin Gwari.’’

‘’Today, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has fulfilled both promises he made to the people of Birnin Gwari. I’m happy that we are here for the ground breaking of this very important road,’’ he added.

The Governor further said that the road is very critical because it connects the whole North West to the South West, cutting across five states up to Lagos, adding that N178 billion has been approved for the project.

Describing the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, as a go-getter and a detribalised Nigerian, he disclosed that they worked together to ensure that the money was approved for the project.

Governor Uba Sani expressed gratitude to the president that people can now travel from Kaduna to Birnin Gwari and within the town, without a police escort.

He disclosed that Birnin Gwari did not benefit from even one kilometre of road project in the last 20 years until the present administration came into office about three years ago.

‘’Today, Kaduna State Government is constructing 36 kilometres of asphaltic roads, cutting across 72 farming communities in Birnin Gwari local government area,’’ he added.

The governor pointed out that the flag-off of the Kaduna-Birnin Gwari road and the various road projects within Birnin Gwari Local Government Area represent the dividends of peace.

According to him, President Tinubu has a special love for Kaduna State; that is why, ‘’on the 8th of July, he approved $865 million for the construction of the Light Rail project in Kaduna metropolis.’’

‘’The Western bypass project is ongoing, from Abuja junction down to Kawo motor park. This project is being undertaken by the Federal Ministry of Works under the able leadership of the President.

‘’We are also talking about resuming the construction of the Eastern bypass, which is very critical to our people. I have no doubt that the project will be resumed, according to my conversation with the Minister, in a few months’ time.

‘’We are grateful to Mr President. We will continue to support him, and I have no doubt in my mind that the 2027 election has been concluded. We are giving Mr President at least 95% of our votes,’’ he added.

Speaking earlier, the Minister of Works, David Umahi, had described President Tinubu as ‘’a promise-keeper, a man that rewards loyalty. He is a man that is fair to every section of the country.’’

The Minister said that he is not surprised at Governor Uba Sani’s developmental strides in Kaduna State because he is ‘’a man who fought alongside our president during the days of NADECO, who was unjustly put in cell.’’

“You understand the meaning of democracy. You understand the meaning of welfare to the people. You have united the entire Kaduna people. You are delivering a lot of infrastructure for the people,” he said.

‘’I said that you are magical like your father, the president. I commended you very highly, and I thanked you for uniting the entire Kaduna people,’ Mr Umahi noted, citing his last visit to Kaduna State on a site inspection tour.