Presidency Hits Back at Kwankwaso’s Claims of Northern Neglect
The Presidency has responded to Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso’s allegations that the North has been sidelined under President Bola Tinubu’s administration. Kwankwaso claimed that national resources are being disproportionately allocated to the South, exacerbating poverty and insecurity in the North.
Presidency Lists Ongoing Projects
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, refuted Kwankwaso’s claims, stating that the Tinubu administration has initiated and continued several landmark projects in the North. These projects span roads, agriculture, healthcare, and energy.
Some of the notable projects mentioned include:
Roads: Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Expressway, Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway, Kano-Kongolam Road, Kaduna-Jos Road, and Kano-Maiduguri Dual Carriageway.
Agriculture: $158.15 million Agriculture Value Chain Development Programme in nine Northern states, Kolmani Integrated Development Project in Bauchi and Gombe, and the ACReSAL project to restore over one million hectares of degraded land.
Healthcare: Expansion of Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital in Zaria, University of Jos Teaching Hospital, Federal Medical Centre in Nguru, and revitalization of 1,000 primary healthcare centers.
Energy: Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano Gas Pipeline to improve energy distribution.
Railway: Kaduna-Kano Rail Line, Kano-Maradi Rail Line, and Abuja Metro rehabilitation.
Presidency’s Conclusion
Dare concluded that the Tinubu administration is delivering critical infrastructure in the North, and the region is not being left behind. “From roads to gas pipelines, health facilities to agriculture and railways, the Tinubu administration is committed to developing the North.”