Essential Ndubuisi
Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, on Monday said that God will give Nigeria a president “who has a good heart like President Muhammadu Buhari for the good of this country” in 2023.
Umahi spoke while addressing State House correspondents after meeting with the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The governor praised the President on some landmark projects in the South East, especially the Second Niger Bridge which, he said, was becoming a reality; and the award of the eastern corridor of the railway line which he said would accelerate commercial activities in the region.
When asked about his reason for visiting the State House, Umahi said, “I came to see, Mr. President. One is to thank him very highly for a number of mega projects that he is doing in the southeast. The second Niger Bridge is fast becoming a reality. Each time we visit that bridge location, it is always like a dream.
“So, we the people of the South East are very grateful to Mr. President for this.
“We also thank him for the award of these Eastern corridors of the railway line. This is a project that is going to fast track the commercial activities of our people.
“I recall that when I was in school, I used to take a train from my state, Ebonyi and then get up to Maiduguri where my brothers were staying, for my holidays. Mr. President is about restoring that hope. We are deeply very grateful.
“But I also reminded Mr. President that one of his cardinal objectives is to integrate South East or the state capitals, but in putting together the project through South East that is the capital of Ebonyi state, which is Abakaliki and capital of Anambra state, which is Awka, were omitted.
“And I reminded Mr. President that the South East governors had requested that I write, which I did, but not yet approved by the Honourable Minister of Transport, which Mr. President said he will find out why they were omitted in the first place.
“I am very, very hopeful that Mr. President is going to give approval to those two locations. And also the limestone granos to fast-track the fertiliser presidential initiative, which has helped the country Nigeria so much in food sufficiency.
“Let me point out that without the effort of Mr. President, through this fertiliser initiative and other programmes in the agricultural sector, it would have been a very difficult time for this country. And so that project is supposed to produce a large set of granules to enable us to produce fertilisers to serve the South-South, South East and part of North Central.”
The Governor hinted that Buhari has already approved and disbursed the funds into the Solid Mineral Development Fund. However, part of the requirement is that there must be a Special Purpose Vehicle integration or private sector initiative.
He said these entities have since applied to the President for approval through the Chief of Staff.
“Lastly, four years back, Mr. President was in Ebonyi state about November to commission a number of projects and lay the foundation stone to others. I reminded Mr. President that we are expecting him four years later, which would be November for him to come to Ebonyi State. The last time he spent one night but this time we are asking him to spend three nights.
