The chairman, House Committee on Appropriations, Rep. Abubakar Bichi, says President Bola Tinubu has performed credibly in Northern Nigeria.
Mr Bichi, who stated this in an interview with journalists in Dutse, Jigawa, insisted that the region had benefited significantly from the Mr Tinubu administration’s policies and development projects.
He described the growing support for Mr Tinubu’s re-election in the North as impressive.
He said the turnout of people from the North at the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign rallies was a clear indication of their satisfaction with Tinubu’s achievements.
“Contrary to claims in some quarters that Tinubu does not care about the North.
“The president has demonstrated commitment to the development of the region through major infrastructure and other intervention projects.
“The turnout of people from the north is impressive, and it is a clear testimony that the people are happy with what Tinubu has done so far.
“President Bola Tinubu has performed credibly in the North, and there is no state that has been left out,” Mr Bichi said.
He cited Jigawa as an example, explaining that the president had approved about N80 billion for the Greater Dutse Water Project to address one of the state’s major developmental challenges.
He also highlighted ongoing and completed road projects in the state, particularly the Kano-Hadejia Road, which, he said, covered approximately 200 kilometres.
According to him, the section from Kano to Danja had been completed, while work on the Danja-Hadejia stretch had reached about 80 per cent completion.
Mr Bichi further said that several irrigation projects had also been completed in Jigawa.
He noted that such interventions demonstrated the federal government’s commitment to improving infrastructure and agricultural development in the region.
“As chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, I know what President Tinubu has done in many parts of the North, and it is fantastic,” he said.
Mr Bichi dismissed suggestions that the president was indifferent to the welfare of Northern Nigerians.
The lawmaker maintained that the Tinubu administration had recorded significant achievements across the North-West and other parts of the region.
“Some people are saying what they want to say, that President Tinubu doesn’t care about the north and doesn’t like our people, but it is not true.
“I know what he has done here, I know what he has done in the North-West, and he has done extremely well,” he said.
Mr Bichi specifically mentioned Kano, Jigawa, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara among the states that had benefited from the president’s development initiatives.
He expressed confidence that the people of Kano would demonstrate their appreciation for the president’s contributions.
He added that he would provide further details of the projects executed in the state.
Mr Bichi, therefore, called on the people of the North to reciprocate the president’s gesture by supporting his administration.
The lawmaker argued that the region should acknowledge the development projects being implemented across its states.
“It is time for the people of the North to pay back what President Tinubu has done for us,” he said.
On power rotation, Mr Bichi appealed to the North to allow Mr Tinubu to complete his constitutionally permitted second term before power returned to the region.
He argued that the North had already completed its eight-year tenure under the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, while the South had served four years under Mr Tinubu.
“What is the magic? We have done our eight years under the late former President Muhammadu Buhari.
“Now they have done their four years; let them finish so that we can move on.
“Let President Tinubu finish his second term, then power will come back to the North as well.
“President Tinubu loves the North, and he has done well for the region,” he said.
Mr Bichi maintained that the president’s performance should be assessed beyond political affiliations.
He urged the people of the region to recognise the administration’s interventions and give it the necessary support to complete its tenure.
(NAN)
