Extend Developments to Daura, Emir Tells Buhari

Francis Sardauna in Katsina

In what might be described as fatherly advice, the Emir of Daura, the hometown of President Muhammadu Buhari, Dr. Umar Faruq Umar, has called on the president to extend his developmental drive to the people of the area, stressing that his subjects have been neglected.

This is even as the paramount ruler said the Daura people were not getting enough from the centre despite the fact that their son, Buhari, is piloting the affairs of the country as the president.

Umar disclosed this when he received the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, at his palace in Daura yesterday.

He said: “Buhari by his nature will not influence the citing of any projects in Daura. But his ministers who benefitted from his appointment should reciprocate by bringing developmental projects to Daura people.

“It is a call to duty for the ministers to make provision in their ministries’ budget of ensuring that Daura benefits immensely from Buhari’s administration. “If the ministers failed to site any projects in Daura, they have betrayed the president and people of Daura,” he lamented

The emir reiterated that the political appointees of President Buhari were not doing enough to assist his hometown, Daura, with a viable project.

According to the traditional ruler, “Daura is faced with absence of developmental projects, and its people are hungry and need federal government assistance.

He noted that “Katsina has dams and irrigation sites like Sabke, Jibia, Zobe, Daberan, Mai Ruwa dams, and if utilised and reciprocated, it has potential of feeding the state and its neighbours.”

In his swift reaction, the minister told the emir that arrangements were on top gear for the establishment of tomatoes farm and processing plants that would generate 6,000 jobs for farmers who grow tomatoes.

He further assured the emir that his ministry would look into some of the requests made by him with a view of addressing them. Ogbeh was in Katsina on a one-day working visit.