Thursday, August 24, 2006
FOUR BILLION FOR KT AIRPORT UPGRADE?
I came across this 4 billion story from sadiqs blog. Check it out at sadiqsafana.blogspot.com. Very high tech blog at that. This guy is in cyprus but gets info about KT faster than me. Isnt it an irony. Well thanks sadiq and keep it up.
Now this airport thing has been bugging KT for quite sometime. Since the time IBB promised to airlift Hajj pilgrims from the airport along time ago. Ambassador Zakari was the then Minister of State in charge of Hajj. I remember how bitter he fought to get the airlift from KT and the bitter response he gave to one FAA official who said that KT airport was not suitable. Ex Hon Sadik Yaradua also made efforts in the House of Reps to get the airport ready for hajj airlift and in the process got himself muddled in a plagiarism flak from another KT indigene in The Daily Trust. Very unfortunate. Well if only it could be ready we will all be happy. Or shall we?
The Governor will obviuosly have the last laugh if this dream come true. Remember how he received a bath from critics for his apparent failure to airlift the majority of pilgrims from the state last year? He used all sorts of fora (including Sallah) to give his version of the story but to no avail. Unlike Mantu though, he did not resort to the "GOD- decreed- it- that- way excuse".
Let me say however that personally I would have loved the airport to be left alone. I would rather have the train, in fact I love the train much more than a tarmac. A tarmac wll be in use only once a year during the Hajj. The train on the other hand will carry people and bring fresh fruits round the year. And I am sure if a referendum were to be carried the train will win. The only negative for the train: it will kill Shakka's lorry, the cheapest way to go to Kano from KT. Last time I heard it was just ten naira to Kano at the speed of a snail.
In addition I would also have loved Gov. YarAdua to cotton in on ICT and a more spatial distribution of secondary schools in the town and elsewhere. Imagine the congestion and chaos along WTC road in the mornings and when the students close for the day. Its like a riot and this is daily replicated at ATC, KTC and GCK. I would have thought decongesting these schools will help the traffic situation besides reducing the distance for these students. And also the money dished out by parents for the daily for machine or Achaba ride.
Now this airport thing has been bugging KT for quite sometime. Since the time IBB promised to airlift Hajj pilgrims from the airport along time ago. Ambassador Zakari was the then Minister of State in charge of Hajj. I remember how bitter he fought to get the airlift from KT and the bitter response he gave to one FAA official who said that KT airport was not suitable. Ex Hon Sadik Yaradua also made efforts in the House of Reps to get the airport ready for hajj airlift and in the process got himself muddled in a plagiarism flak from another KT indigene in The Daily Trust. Very unfortunate. Well if only it could be ready we will all be happy. Or shall we?
The Governor will obviuosly have the last laugh if this dream come true. Remember how he received a bath from critics for his apparent failure to airlift the majority of pilgrims from the state last year? He used all sorts of fora (including Sallah) to give his version of the story but to no avail. Unlike Mantu though, he did not resort to the "GOD- decreed- it- that- way excuse".
Let me say however that personally I would have loved the airport to be left alone. I would rather have the train, in fact I love the train much more than a tarmac. A tarmac wll be in use only once a year during the Hajj. The train on the other hand will carry people and bring fresh fruits round the year. And I am sure if a referendum were to be carried the train will win. The only negative for the train: it will kill Shakka's lorry, the cheapest way to go to Kano from KT. Last time I heard it was just ten naira to Kano at the speed of a snail.
In addition I would also have loved Gov. YarAdua to cotton in on ICT and a more spatial distribution of secondary schools in the town and elsewhere. Imagine the congestion and chaos along WTC road in the mornings and when the students close for the day. Its like a riot and this is daily replicated at ATC, KTC and GCK. I would have thought decongesting these schools will help the traffic situation besides reducing the distance for these students. And also the money dished out by parents for the daily for machine or Achaba ride.
