...There is
hardly any federal ministry that is not executing a project in the
town.
Many projects have been completed with several still ongoing. Some are
still being planned as sites have been allocated for them.
Some of the projects include rehabilitation or expansion of existing
ones, re-activation and completion of those abandoned as well as new
ones.
Daily Trust reports that heavy-duty machines and construction sites
can be seen at different locations executing different projects,
including road construction, drainages, schools, water projects, etc,
depicting an apparent testimony of benefiting from the administration
of President Muhammadu Buhari.
During a visit to the town, our correspondent discovered that there is
hardly any federal ministry that is not executing a project in the
town.
Power, Housing, Works, Transport, Health, Education and other
ministries have projects that are classified as Special Projects Unit
(SPU) as displayed in various locations in the town.
Aside from the federal projects massively being carried out across the
town and neighbouring villages, friends, and associates of the
president have undertaken some projects that are adding value to the
people’s lives.
There is an ongoing massive construction of township roads and
drainages totaling about 40km across the city. Four contractors are
executing the projects. A ring road of 80-90km is about to commence.
During the first tenure of the Buhari administration, 21km of
drainages and waterways were constructed.
The building of schools for people with special needs has begun at the
cost of N500m. The Federal Polytechnic, Daura is expected to take off
in January 2020 at its temporary site. 100 hectares of land has been
provided for the permanent site.
The proposed Federal University of Transportation has been alloted
6,000 hectares and the project is to commence any moment from now.
Already completed and being put to use is the multi-million naira
Nigerian Air Force referral hospital equipped with state-of-the-art
equipment. The Air Force has set up a response air wing just as the
Nigerian Army has established a base in the town.
Others are the upgrade and expansion of the town’s mini stadium at the
cost of N259m and the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) N84m
centre that just graduated its first set of 100 students trained in
various trades and skills.
There is also a skills acquisition centre that has been completed but
is yet to be commissioned under the Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs) programme along Zango road.
The first lady, Aisha Buhari, is also supporting her husband’s town to
develop. She has built a 50-bed maternity center at the town’s general
hospital, besides setting up empowerment programs for women and the
less privileged.
But some residents expressed somewhat different opinions.
Buhari Mohammed said: “The poverty level among residents is alarming
and must be looked at holistically. Yes, we have got hospitals and
other things coming up like schools but people should understand that
it is not meant only for Daura people, especially appointments into
them. “We may get an upper hand when lower cadre jobs are open for
grabs but the few that will get the jobs cannot remove the town from
the depth of poverty.”
Another resident, Abdullahi Abdulkadir, said, “My worst fear is the
rate of crime that may engulf our town after the youths are out of the
smuggling business. They will end up attacking us with crimes, my take
is for government to please as a matter of urgency get them something
else to engage them before they fall on us.”