RAILWAY UNIVERSITY IN DAURA IS A GIFT- Amaechi
Oru Leonard
The Minister of transportation in Nigeria, Rt. Honourable Rotimi Amaechi says the $ 50 million dollar Railway University which will be completed by September 2021 in Daura, Katsina State is a gift.
The Minister said this while speaking to journalist after an assessment tour of the project in Daura on Saturday, August 29, 2020.
Speaking on how the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), donated the University, He said “This is not a railway contract. This is a gift from them. I have said my assumption is that they should finish by next year September.
“We spoke with CCECC and told them that we needed a university to train Nigerians who will take over from them.”
Amaechi said contrary to rumours being peddled that nothing is happening at the site, construction is going on.
“There’s been too much noise about them not constructing anything. When you got there you saw that they were constructing. They just got the approval from the state government”.
“Proper construction will start at the end of September and hopefully they should be about to complete it at the end of September next year”.
Amaechi said there will be primary and secondary schools especially for those lecturers who will come from outside.
Commenting on the source of manpower for the university, he explained that the Chinese would provide that initially while Nigeria develops her own.
“They will provide all that for five years by which time the Federal Government should have been able to get its own technical staff”
The Minister visited the Emir of Daura and thanked him for providing land for the University.
“Nigerians will come here from every part of the country to study and those who will teach here will not only come from Daura but other parts of Katsina and Nigeria and like I got to know, this is the cradle of the Hausa civilization. At the site today, TEAM agreed to provide consultancy free of charge”, he said.
The Minister also visited the Governor of Katsina state, Aminu Bello Masari, who disclosed that they will support the company with Security and other things they will need to make their stay safe.
When completed, the university is expected to train Nigerians who will take over from the Chinese especially in manning the railway and other transportation needs of the country.
Recall that the Federal Government had arranged for a scholarship for some youths to be trained in Railway engineering in China.
