The Minister for Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amechi has disclosed he had no regrets or whatsoever for siting the Transportation University in Daura, the home state of President Buhari.
Amechi made the statement while launching the groundbreaking ceremony of the said University at Daura, Kastina state.
In his remarks, ”When we sited a factory at Kajola, there was no noise, nobody debated about it, nobody abused us for it unlike the site for the University.
”Daura is in Nigeria, it is not in any other part of the world. It is not in Niger Republic, Biafra or Mali, it is in Nigeria. So, what is wrong in siting the University of Transportation in Daura?
According to the Minister, is it not about setting the University, but a response to aspiration of Nigerians and its determination to sustain the dividend of democracy to the grassroots.
However, he added having realized education is the key; the question now lies in the onus of those who will take over and maintain the infrastructure the present administration is putting in place.
He said he hatched the idea when he engaged the company to undertake Lagos-Ibadan railway through denying them approval until they agreed to his terms and conditions which were;
“The first thing is to take our children to China and train them by giving them first degree in railway technology.
He added as, at today, 60 of our children are in their second year courtesy of CCECC and 90 others are on their way this week making a total of 150 students.
”The second condition was that, if we must sign the purchase of locomotives in China, they must build a factory in Nigeria where we can construct for coaches, locomotives and wagon and today at Kajola that factory is under construction.
Lastly, I demanded for a Transportation University and today it has become reality the Minister said while commending the CCECC and the Chinese government.
The effort of the Kastina state government cannot be overemphasized on how speedily he made the land available for the project the Minister added.
In his contribution, Mr. Ibrahim Hassan, the Chairman Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) described the initiative as a remarkable achievement that would boost the economy and education quest for the country.
