President Bola Ahmed Tinubu yesterday flagged off the 122-kilometre Kaduna-Birnin Gwari Road project, fulfilling a key campaign promise he made to the people of Birnin Gwari during the 2023 presidential election campaign.
Represented at the ground-breaking ceremony by Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani, the President recalled his historic visit to Birnin Gwari on December 22, 2022, when, as the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), he defied security advice to campaign in the troubled community, then regarded as the epicentre of banditry, kidnapping and insurgency in the state.
Governor Sani said Tinubu had insisted on visiting Birnin Gwari despite the security concerns, maintaining that anyone seeking to lead Nigeria must identify with all parts of the country, irrespective of prevailing challenges.
‘He argued that as someone aspiring to be President of Nigeria, he must visit Birnin Gwari,’ the governor recalled.
According to him, the late Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, who was then the General Officer Commanding (GOC), One Mechanised Division, Kaduna, provided 21 Armoured Personnel Carriers and military personnel to ensure the then presidential candidate’s safe passage.
‘We left Kaduna at about 4 p.m. and arrived in Birnin Gwari after about four and a half hours because the road was in a terrible condition. We got there around 8:30 p.m. At the Emir’s Palace, His Royal Highness honoured the presidential candidate with a traditional title,’ Sani said.
The governor noted that during the visit, Tinubu made two major promises to the people of Birnin Gwari – to reconstruct the Mando-Birnin Gwari Road and restore lasting peace and security to the area.
‘Today, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has fulfilled both promises. We are here for the groundbreaking ceremony of this very important road project, while security and normalcy have substantially returned to Birnin Gwari,’ he said.
Sani described the road as a strategic national infrastructure that links the Northwest to the Southwest, traversing five states before terminating in Lagos.
He added that the Federal Government had approved ?178 billion for its construction.
The governor commended the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, for his commitment to the project, describing him as ‘a go-getter and a detribalised Nigerian’ who worked tirelessly to secure federal approval for the road.
The governor expressed gratitude to President Tinubu for restoring confidence in the area, noting that residents can now travel freely between Kaduna and Birnin Gwari without police escort.
According to him, Birnin Gwari had not benefited from any major federal road project in over two decades until the coming of the Tinubu administration.
He disclosed that the state government is currently constructing 36 kilometres of asphalt roads connecting 72 farming communities across Birnin Gwari Local Government Area to boost agricultural production and improve rural connectivity.
The governor also expressed optimism that work on the Eastern Bypass would soon resume following discussions with the Minister of Works.
‘We are grateful to Mr President for his love for Kaduna State. We will continue to support him, and I do not doubt in my mind that the 2027 election has been concluded. We are giving Mr President at least 95 per cent of our votes,’ he said.
Earlier, Umahi described President Tinubu as ‘a promise-keeper’ and ‘a leader who rewards loyalty and treats every part of the country fairly.’
He praised Governor Sani’s performance, attributing it to his longstanding commitment to democratic ideals and his role in the pro-democracy struggle.
‘You fought alongside our President during the days of NADECO and suffered injustice in detention. You understand the meaning of democracy and the importance of delivering development to the people,’ the minister said.
The minister reaffirmed the Federal Government’s determination to complete critical road projects across the country as part of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.