Hon. Abubakar Kabir Bichi, chairman of the House of Representatives appropriation committee, has dismissed claims that President Bola Tinubu has sidelined the northern region in federal projects.
Speaking to journalists in Kano on Wednesday after an All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders’ meeting at the residence of former APC national chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, Bichi said the president has prioritised infrastructure, agriculture, education, and security across the North.
“On infrastructure under the federal ministry of works, there are many critical projects here in the North. The Abuja-Kano road is progressing well. The Kano-Kaduna road has been completed, while the Abuja-Kaduna axis is almost done,” Bichi said.
He added that Tinubu revoked the previous contract and awarded it to a new contractor who “has since commenced work and is doing extremely well.”
“From what we have discussed with the minister of works, it will be completed before the end of the first quarter of next year,” he said.
He also pointed to completed and ongoing projects in Kano State, including a 200-kilometre road from Kano to Hadejia and the N250 billion Kano northern bypass.
According to Bichi, the federal government is also set to construct a light rail project in Kano metropolis.
“Currently the project is preparing to be procured any moment from now. The cost of the project is around $1 billion, which is equivalent to about N1.5 trillion,” he said.
Bichi urged the public to “put sentiment aside” and appreciate the president’s contributions to the North, adding, “As chairman of the appropriation committee, I know where we are appropriating money and I know what the president has done so far.”
Commenting on the APC meeting, Bichi said it was to express support for Tinubu and to reaffirm loyalty to Ganduje as the leader of the party in the state.
His words: “Kano gave the highest votes to the president in the last election, so we came to thank him and to support Dr Abdullahi Ganduje who has performed extremely well as national chairman of our party.
“He delivered; he turned PDP states to APC and convinced some governors to join us. We are behind him.”