Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna state has said the state lost some of its glory and status following the incessant communal clashes that rocked the state in the past.
He, however, reiterated his readiness to reclaim the lost glory.
Speaking on Friday during the commissioning of the Nigerian Immigration Service Kaduna Command Building, he said many great Nigerians lived in Kaduna, but were forced to depart the state due to the communal crises in the last two decades.
According to him, his administration is trying to restore the hospitality and togetherness of Kaduna town to make it a home for all Nigerians.
“Kaduna used to be home for all Nigerians, many great people lived their lives here. Some came here to go to school, some came just to attend the Defence Academy or Police College, but it was such a hospitable and inclusive city that many have chosen to remain. Many of the retired generals, Air Marshall, Rear Admirals come back here to retire.
“Abuja has taken some of them, and the incessant communal clashes that divided the city have also discouraged some from coming back. Many people have started returning because more and more people are beginning to regard Kaduna as a low-cost option to Abuja. We thank the Buhari administration for the train link that has made movement very easy and the ongoing work to reconstruct the Kaduna-Abuja road,” he said.
The governor, who thanked the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, for gracing the occasion, said, “To consider requesting for a parcel of land to develop barracks or a housing estate for the Nigerian Immigration Service. We will be very happy to provide that land, just as we have provided large parcels of land to Nigerian military and police. Kaduna is a garrison city, we are proud of the intensity of military and security presence here.”
In his remarks, Aregbesola described el-Rufai as “someone whose utterances and actions advance the development of Nigeria,” adding that he chose to attend the commissioning because he “appreciates the leadership qualities of el-Rufa’i.”
He said the office complex which cost N280 million was part of the federal government’s commitment to improve public facilities and to ensure a good working environment.
