The Kano State government says there is no going back on its intention to access loan for the light rail transit project in Metropolitan Kano, saying it was a project conceived after due consultations with major stakeholders in the state.
This was contained in a press release issued by the Commissioner for Information, Malam Muhammad Garba, in reaction to a statement by the Kwankwasiyya Movement on the project.
The statement indicated that no amount of criticism would deter the government from carrying out laudable projects aimed at transforming Kano to a mega city.
“The light rail project, apart from other benefits, is designed to expand commercial activities, and ease transportation of agricultural goods and services across the state for the benefit of the good people of our dear state,” the statement read in part.
The commissioner pointed out that since the foreign loan has already been approved by the China Export-Import Bank, the government would go ahead with the project.
He stated that all due processes are being followed which include getting approval from the state House of Assembly and clearance from the relevant federal agencies and the National Assembly.
The commissioner further explained that the Kwankwasiyya position on the project was not in any way surprising considering that the movement never appreciated anything no matter how well thought out by the APC administration in the state.
The Kwankwasiyya movement, Kano chapter, had revealed that it has written a petition to the Chinese Development Bank over the state government’s efforts to contract a loan facility of 684,100,100.00 Euros from the bank to finance a light rail in the state.
A statement signed by Kwankwasiyya spokesperson, Comrade Aminu Abdulsalam, condemned the move saying the government has mortgaged the future of the present and incoming generations through perpetual debt at the expense of education, health and other social safety net investment.
