Gov. Nasir Idris of Kebbi, on Friday, said people of the North-West region are extremely excited about President Bola Tinubu’s decision to execute the Sokoto-Badagry super highway.

He stated this at the official groundbreaking ceremony of Sokoto-Badagry super highway at Gulumbe town in Birnin Kebbi Local Government Area of Kebbi.

The governor, who spoke as a representative of Mr Tinubu at the event, also said not only the people of North-West but also the entire people of Nigeria are happy about the project.

“Mr President we thank you for being alive to your responsibilities as a leader of our great nation. This is a North-West corridor to Lagos, Calabar Coastal Highway.

“You have promised to be a president for all, we are grateful that you keep to your words. You have stated a very big and important project that has never happened in the history of this nation. I am glad to state that Mr President has not failed Nigerians.

“Therefore, we want to seize this opportunity to thank Mr President, members of the Federal Executive Council and members of the National Assembly for ensuring that this project materialises,” he said.

While congratulating Kebbi for taking the lion’s share of the project, the governor assured that money for the project had been set aside to ensure that “it does not suffer any financial setback in the course of execution.”

The 1,068 kilometre Sokoto-Badagry road was a project initiated by President Shehu Shagari’s administration in the 1980s, and the president’s administration took it up after more than 40 years.

In his speech, the minister of works, Dave Umahi, described the project as an unsolicited gigantic project initially designed to start from Lagos by the then Shagari administration.

He, however, said, in view of the magnanimity of Mr Tinubu, he decided to change it to commence work from Sokoto, saying, “we have to appreciate Mr President for that wonderful initiative.”

The minister said the first phase of the project, which consisted of 68 dams for irrigation purposes, would be completed within two years.

He said: “These sole legacy projects are not only road projects but are investments that have very high yields on return on investment (ROI). Sokoto-Badagry has 68 dams to trigger a mega agricultural revolution within the corridor of this project.

“These dams are for irrigation, we are going to have a lot of wind energy, we are also going to improve a lot of agriculture in this corridor, we will acquire land within the corridor.”

Atiku Bagudu, minister of budget and economic planning, recalled that Mr Tinubu, while campaigning, did not pledge to execute the project but promised to be president for all, “and today we have testified that.”

He described the project as an investment not only for the present generation but an investment for the future.

On his part, Sen. Adamu Aliero (PDP-Kebbi Central) and chairman, Senate committee on works, appreciated Mr Tinubu for the project, which government after government promised to execute but to no avail.

Mr Aliero, who is an ex-governor of Kebbi, extolled the sterling leadership qualities of Gov. Nasir Idris, describing him as a person who transformed the state within a short period of time.

He said, “I am a PDP member, and the governor is an APC member.” However, to call a spade a spade, Gov. Idris brought positive development to the state.

In his remarks, the Emir of Gwandu and chairman, Council of Chiefs in the state, retired Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Iliyasu-Bashar, appreciated the federal government under Mr Tinubu for reviving the project.

The emir, who was represented by the Emir of Argungu and the vice chairman of the Council of Chiefs, Muhammadu Samaila-Mera, observed that the president would certainly leave behind an indelible legacy.

(NAN)