The Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen Ph.D. GCON, on Saturday, commissioned two power projects, which he attracted to Soba Local Government Area, as part of his flagging-off of 80 projects in Zone 1 Senatorial District of Kaduna State.
A statement signed by Musa Abdullahi Krishi, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Speaker, House of Representatives, Federal Republic of Nigeria said Speaker Abbas, who noted that Nigerians’ wait to reap the dividends of democracy must end, also laid the foundation for other projects in the area.
The projects included the commissioning of PHC in Saulawa; groundbreaking for the construction of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) Study Centre Zaria–Pambegua Road; the Youth Development Centre; one block of 10 classrooms with offices and toilets on one suspended floor as well as Kinkiba Road all in Maigana; and the commissioning of PHC, Turawa.
Addressing a mammoth crowd, Speaker Abbas noted that the projects being cited in the communities within Soba Local Government would benefit the people in no small measure.
Accompanied by the state Governor, Sen. Uba Sani, and the Minister of Environment, Alhaji Lawal Balarabe Abbas, as well as other prominent indigenes of Zone 1, Speaker Abbas described Soba as a critical agricultural base for Kaduna State and indeed the North.
“That waiting must end”, he said, stressing that though there are motorable highways around Zone 1, they cannot serve farmers in the villages whose access to the markets is limited.
“A national highway cannot help a farmer whose crops cannot leave the village. That is why community roads matter. They connect local labour to larger opportunities.
“The road should become a reliable route for farms, markets, schools, and businesses. It should improve access to Zaria and strengthen the connection between Soba and neighbouring communities. A productive region requires productive roads.
“The Kinkiba Road in Maigana will bring the same benefit closer to local communities. Smaller roads often carry the first and most difficult part of an economic journey. They take produce from farms to collection points and carry children, workers, and patients between villages and public facilities.
On the Youth Development Centre, the Speaker said it would address another important need, noting, “Soba has a large population of energetic young people. Their ambition must find direction, and their energy must find industrial purposes.”
Speaker Abbas called on the people to support the partnership between the current National Assembly and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, the state government, and local leaders in the zone by voting for all APC candidates in the next general elections.
“The National Assembly and our local leadership have brought investment closer to you. Interrupting that partnership will not accelerate these projects. Continuity will give us the stability to complete them and begin more.
“I, therefore, ask Soba to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term. Support Governor Uba Sani. Support APC candidates who will protect this cooperation and place development above division. Vote for roads that reach markets. Vote for skills that create work. Vote for schools that expand possibilities. Vote for healthcare that protects families. Let Soba produce more, learn more, and earn more.”
