By Fola James
President Muhammadu Buhari’s may not have benefited personally for his administration close ties with the Peoples’ Republic of China, but the communist nation seems to appreciate relations with Africa’s biggest economy considering its decision to build a $50 million Transport University in the president’s home town, Daura, Katsina state.
The administration has been trenchantly criticised for borrowing a multi-billion dollar loan from China which it says are needed to bridge infrastructure gap in the country.
But the ultra-modern university, which will be complemented with a primary and secondary school, according to Rotimi Amaechi, the Minister of Transport, will be built at no cost to the country.
Amaechi’s ministry of Transport received a huge part of the Chinese loan and has dismissed Nigerian’s outbursts against the government’s quest to seek the financial assistance of the Chinese government to develop critical infrastructure across the country.
The minister said the country will derive huge benefits from the University during his inspection tour of the project in Katsina state, which he said will be maintained free by Technics Engineering Architectural Marketing, TEAM after completion.
The Transportation Minister further disclosed that the $50 million university is expected to provide manpower for the railway system currently being built by the China Civil Engineering Construction Company, CCECC after the exit of the contractor.
According to Amaechi “What they are doing now is clearing. They have promised to build a primary school and a secondary school in the university. This university is a donation by the Chinese government through the China Engineering Construction Corporation, CECC.”
He said “The Technics, Engineering, and Marketing (TEAM) has also accepted to do the consultancy job.”
The minister further disclosed that the university will serve as a training ground for Nigerian students who will take over from the Chinese, the maintenance of the railway system in the future, adding that the school belongs to Nigerians.
“All Nigerians from all parts of the country are entitled to come here for studies, In the same as lecturing. Those who will teach are not only going to come from Daura, they will come from all parts of the country.
So, we agreed with CCECC to build the University, and we chose Daura. We believe that the school would be completed next year hopefully, and then we can start studies”, Amaechi said.
The university’s groundbreaking was performed last December by President Buhari and is expected to take off for academic session next year.
Meanwhile, some analysts consider the university a Greek gift by the Chinese government, accused of nursing an expantionist agenda in Africa.
