The Katsina State Governor, Dikko Umaru Radda, has approved and released the sum of N1.8 billion to the 34 local government areas of the state for development projects in order to assuage the suffering of rural dwellers.

The state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Prof. Badamasi Lawal Charanchi, who disclosed this in an interview with journalists, said the money was released to the councils’ chairmen in accordance with their requests.

He explained that the N1.8 billion was used by local governments chairmen for the construction of drainages, renovation and rehabilitation of schools, rural feeder roads and boreholes, among other notable developmental projects.

He said: “When this government came on board, it approved and released the sum of N1.8 billion to the LGAs, based on their requests and submissions, for development projects across the 34 local government areas of the state.”

The commissioner affirmed that Radda’s administration was poised to transform the local government system, arguing however that: “If money is released to the LGAs as requested by them, which autonomy are you talking about?”

On the war against terrorism, Charanchi said the state government has purchased arms and ammunition, security vehicles, including 10 Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC), motorcycles, surveillance cameras and protective gears.

He noted that other revolving security measures adopted by the Governor Radda-led government to secure Katsina included the formation of Security Watch into which the government recruited 150 persons from each of the eight frontline local governments.

Charachi added that: “The government will also kit and pay allowances to personnel of the Security Watch. All this spending is done to improve security at the LGAs and to support the Federal Government in its efforts at securing the entire state and the country.

“The security vehicles and motorcycles are being distributed across the state but the most vulnerable LGAs will receive more and 10 of the APCs will also go to them. These are some of the strategies the government has adopted and it is still doing more to see how we can reverse the issue of insecurity in Katsina.”

Culled from ThisDay