The Minister for Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, said he had no regrets siting the transportation University in Daura.
Amaechi said this at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Transportation University in Daura, Katsina on Monday.
”When we sited the factory at Kajola, there was no noise, nobody debated about it, nobody abused us for it unlike the site for the University.
”Daura is in Nigeria, it is not in any other part of the world. It is not in Niger Republic, Biafra or Mali, it is in Nigeria. So, what is wrong in siting the University of transportation in Daura?
”I have no regrets siting this university where I have sited it, it is not because I want to get any gain,” Amaechi said.
According to him, the establishment of the University was an attempt at responding to the question of how we (Nigeria) will maintain the infrastructure we are building in the country, NAN reports.
He said: ”It is my attempt at responding to the question of how to maintain and manage all the infrastructure we are building and realised that education is key.
”I engaged the companies, the first engagement was when they were constructing Lagos-Ibadan rail.
“They were not so keen on spending their funds to build a university for Nigeria until I refused to sign the contract for Lagos to Ibadan railway.
”I insisted that I will only sign if three things were done.
“The first thing is to take our children to China and train them by giving them first degree in railway technology.
”Today as I speak, 60 of our children are in their second year and we thank CCECC and 90 are on their way to China this week, making it 150.
”The second is that, if we must sign the purchase of locomotives in China, they must build a factory where we can construct coaches, locomotives and wagons and today at Kajola that factory is being constructed.
”Finally, I insisted on the University of transportation and today we are here for the groundbreaking of the University and for all we are grateful to CCECC and the Chinese government.”
The Minister commended the Governor of Katsina for the speed in which he donated the land for the project.
He said the land which is about 413 hectares was donated by the Katsina state government and it has promised to increase it.
He also commended the various governors, ministers, stakeholders, the Chinese government and all who have made the project a success.
