Ahmad Tijjani Abdul, Kano
Kano Unity Forum, a conglomerate of over 15 Kano based local and specialized groups on Thursday expressed grave reservations against the resolve of Governor Abdullahi Ganduje to obtain loan from China Development Bank to construct phase 1 component of Light Mono Rail to service Kano Metropolis.
A petition that was signed by elder statesman, Alhaji Bashir Othman Tofa on behalf of Kano Unity Forum that was made available to VerityNews explained that “save for few in official circles, nobody else knows the terms and conditions of the loan agreement”, adding that “the exact amount being borrowed is shrouded in secrecy”.
The strongly worded statement noted that the “first Phase of the project costing over N300 Billion, or may be even the N828 Billion mentioned by others, coming mostly from a foreign loan is mind-boggling, to say the least. A rethink is not only needed, but necessary.”
Tofa in the signed statement stressed that “based on the analysis of the present indebtedness of Kano Sate as provided by the Debt Management Office (DMO) Nigeria, it is extremely difficult, almost impossible for Kano State to sustain any indebtedness beyond the current liability portfolio of the state.”
The Forum cautioned that “it needs to be noted that a rail project is never a project to be constructed in a haste as we observed that it is neither in the medium nor long term plans of the State Government.
The Kano stakeholders stated that “If indeed the Chinese want to genuinely help with cheap loans, they should be requested to support critical sectors such as education, health, agriculture, power, science and technology, infrastructure, industry and water supply”, adding that “after all,
the Chinese have become world leaders in these aspects of transformative development.”
The Group declared that “KANO UNITY FORUM would not give any self-serving politician the latitude to increase poverty and deprivation within the general public through ill-conceived public works.”
The Forum cautioned that, “we shall not be deluded by the attractive idea of good return from the investment. Rail project world over are highly capital intensive with a very negligible rate of return on investment. It’s more of a social welfare project, especially in less developed economies. “
The Kano Unity Forum therefore warned that “in the event, however, KNSG chooses to remain impervious to this well intentioned intervention, we will diligently pursue it through court processes and other lawful means to stop the Light Rail project.
The signed statement further assured the Chinese of its readiness to ensure the next administration in the State repudiates the
agreement altogether and disregard any responsibility for whatever money the Chinese expended in the project.