Buhari:
South East Deserves Better Infrastructure Deal
President
Buhari
President Muhammadu
Buhari bid to allay fears of marginalization against ndi Igbo has assured
stakeholders from the South East that the region will benefit more from roads
and coastal rail projects, which he believes are of critical
importance to the economy.
He made the declaration at the
presidential villa Abuja on Friday while
speaking at an audience with leaders from the region led by the Deputy Senate
President Ike Ekweremadu.
According to a statement issued by
his spokesman, Femi Adesina, the President declared that 2nd Niger Bridge,
the East-West Road and the Coastal Rail Project, are receiving utmost attention
from his administration.
The President said counterpart
funding from the Chinese government would substantially fund these projects,
which when completed will improve the welfare, well-being, and economy of the
people in the region.
The statement quoted him as saying:
“I know the Chinese are very competent in handling such projects and we will
ensure that we get the money for the projects to take off.
“I thank you for articulating your
demands and I want to assure that we are doing our best for the country. If we
can stop people from stealing, then there will be more resources to put into
projects that will create employment for Nigerians.”
On the allegations of under-representation
of Igbo in his government, the President said: “I gave south-east four
substantive ministers in the ministries of Foreign Affairs, Trade and
Investment, Science and Technology and Labour.
“Seven states in the North got
Ministers of State and of the two Ministries headed by your sons, I cannot take
any decision on foreign policy and investments without their input.”
The President also promised the
leaders, comprising governors and ministers from the region, the President of
Ohaneze, Chief Nnia Nwodo and representatives from the National Assembly, that
he will visit states in the zone soon.
“I want to assure you that I came
into government with a clear conscience and I will also leave with a clear
conscience,’’ he said.
Earlier, the President of Ohaneze,
while articulating the demands of the zone to the President highlighted the
issue of state creation, restructuring, federal projects in the South East
namely Enugu-Onitsha road, Enugu-Port Harcourt road and Aba-Ikot-Ekpene road,
among others.
Nwodo also demanded urgent
presidential interventions on the Enugu Airport, reticulation of the
gas-pipelines in the South East and the standard gauge plan for railway
construction.
Commending the President’s
remarkable achievements on security and the fight against corruption, Nwodo
declared: “we are ready to work with you. We are determined to work with you.
We know you are a decisive leader and we know God will continue to give you the
wisdom to govern Nigeria.’’
Also speaking, Governor Dave Umahi
of Ebonyi State expressed satisfaction on the outcome of their discussions with
the President on critical issues and topics affecting the region.
“You have no hatred for any state.
You have treated all states with equality. What one state gets in the north,
the other gets in the south,’’ the governor said, referring to budget support
facility and stabilisation fund released to states and local governments since
the inception of the administration.
Speaking to State House
correspondents later, Nwodo described the session with the president as a frank
and robust exchange.
He said: “We discussed problems of
the south-east and as head of state; he is the final repository of an appeal
for the resolutions of those problems.
“We went into great
details about each of those problems and I have confidence that they will give
it the attention they deserve.
“We dealt with problems
of development in the south-east, basic capital projects which have for a very
long time been neglected not just from this government but for a very long
time. Major arteries of federal highways in the southeast have been in complete
state of disrepair. Enugu-Onitsha, Enugu-Port Harcourt, Aba-Ikoyi Ekpene are
virtually impassable.
“We talked about the
inland waterways and the dredging of the River Niger. We talked about the
reticulation of gas pipeline on the southeast. We export gas from the southeast
to the other parts of the country, but there is no reticulation of the pipeline
and industrial clusters in the southeast.
“We talked about the
only international airport we have in the south-east which has a very bad
infrastructure in terms of the buildings that have ravaged.
“We got assurance from
the president that he will deal with each of those problems.”
Buhari: South East Deserves Better Infrastructure Deal
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on
Friday, October 13, 2017
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