FG To Extend Rail Line From Kano To Katsina - Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday assured the government and people of Katsina State that his administration would extend the rail line from Kano to the state to ease the movement of people and goods within the two states.

The president who made the gave the assurance while responding to requests made by the Emir of Katsina, Alhaji Abdulmumini Kabir Usman during a courtesy visit in his palace, added that if government must provide reliable means of transportation to over 170 million Nigerians, it must link all major cities with including Katsina to the rail line.

"I assure you that the federal government will include that project even if it was not yet in our projection. We believe that for the government to provide mass transit to over 170 million Nigerians, it needs to extend rail network linking all the major cities including Katsina," he said.

He pointed out that the federal government was targeting to reach all the state capitals in the country with rail lines.

The President said that would assist to reduce costs of petrol to Nigerians and enhance socio-economic in the country.

Jonathan also assured that the federal government would develop Zobe water project to provide drinking water to people and enhance agricultural activities in the area.

He said that agriculture was one of the areas where government can create wealth to create and guarantee food security.

On the Windmill power project at Lambar-rimi, the President said that project was not directly under the federal, but it would ensure that project was completed within a short period of time.

The President thanked the emir and other political and spiritual leaders for the relative peace in the state, adding that the trouble makers also wanted to destabilize the state but were stopped by all stakeholders.
He commended the giant strides of Shema in education, saying education was the only way people could be liberated.
He noted that it is for this reason that his administration had started the Almajirai model school and the Federal University in Dutsinma.
Speaking earlier, the Emir urged the President to extend rail line to Katsina from Kano state, complete Zobe water project and restart the Windmill Power project at Rimi Local Government area which was stopped because the man in charge was kidnapped.
As part of his two-day state visit to the state, the President also inspected a multi-million Naira Youth Craft Village constructed to train the young ones from the State on technical and woodwork, arts and craft among others.

The training centre consists of GSM Workshop, Computers Repairs, maintenance and Networking centre and film production training unit.
Also at the training centre were, fashion designing, sowing and knitting centre, carpentry and woodwork, shoe making, catering, baking and confectionery and auto mechanic school.
The President also took out time to visit the NYSC Orientation Camp sharing boundary with the Youth Craft Village.
President Jonathan also inspected the 35,000 capacity Karkanda stadium at the heart of the city.

The project which started in 1989 was said to have been abandoned by the military regime before the Shema took up the project in 2007.
The stadium is equipped with flood lightings, electronic score board, public address system and relaxation spots.
The pitch made of live and hybrid synthetic turf is said to be heat resistant and has high drainage capacity and high shock absorption capacity.

Source: FrontiersNews*