Katsina State Governor, Aminu Bello Masari, yesterday, said his government diverted enormous resources originally earmarked for infrastructural development to fund operations of security agencies to curb the spate of banditry and related criminal activities.
He spoke at the commissioning of the first interchange flyover bridge at the the state GRA which he said cost N4.3 billion.
He said that government had in 2015 raised a committee for urban renewal development programs of Katsina, Funtua, Daura, Malumfashi and Dutsinma among other major towns in the state.
“But we could not deliver on the scheme because of insecurity in the state which consumed all our resources to security agencies and support to victims of banditry,” he said.
Earlier in May 2022, during the flag-off ceremony of the construction of the project, Masari said government could not fully execute its planned infrastructural development programmes due to the persistent insecurity since the inception of his administration.
“We are not where we should be yet, but certainly we are making progress and also that the incoming administration, come May 2023, will continue with this development of the urban renewal programme of our major cities. Moreover, in Katsina in particular, a lot of roads need to be done within the city to reduce congestion,” he said.
The GRA roundabout is one of the three multi-billion-naira Masari’s infrastructural development projects within the city centre.
In the first quarter of 2023, President Muhammadu Buhari, while on official visit to the state, commissioned the other two interchange flyovers at Kofan Kwaya and Kofan Kaura roundabouts, which cost about N5.8 billion.
