Buhari pledges better infrastructure deal for South East

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President Muhammadu Buhari 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 said the region has not been underrepresented in his government because he has already given Igbos four ministerial posts. 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 Igbos 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 south-east 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 south-east. We export gas from the south-east to the other parts of the country, but there is no reticulation of the pipeline and industrial clusters in the south-east.

“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.”