MON, APRIL 16 2018-theG&BJournal-Rivers chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has described the reaction by a cross section of Nigerians over the resolve of President Muhammadu to seek a second term tenure come 2019 as unnecessary and unwarranted as Mr. President is by the tenets of our constitution empowered to seek a second term tenure if he so desires.
The party urged Nigerians not to be deceived by some of these agitators as they are influenced, enforced and enabled by those who looted our common patrimony with impunity in order to frustrate the realization of the second term bid for them to protect their loots against the progress and development of Nigeria and Nigerians.
The APC said it is fully aware of the dangers inherent in the propaganda and rumours being peddled by those they called “economic saboteurs” in order to ensure that the re-election of President Buhari becomes a bit difficult but asserted that no matter their level of propaganda, President Buhari has done much to guarantee his re-election.
“The party will not be deterred by the antecedents of these enemies of our country and will not cease to highlight the benefits that are accruable to Nigeria and Nigerians if President Buhari succeeds come 2019”, said Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, the Media Consultant to Dr Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, the State Chairman of Rivers APC in a statement to media organizations today.
The party reassured Nigerians that those who have ruined the country’s economy and are attempting to frustrate the re-election of the African Icon of anti-corruption struggle will surely not succeed. “These looters are fully aware of what the re-election of President Buhari entails as it will constitute a challenge to their keeping and securing their loots but we will not allow them to come back in order to continue their looting spree from where they stopped in 2015 no matter the odds”.
The party reiterated that President Buhari re-election is imperative if we are to consider the following feats and projects so far executed by the present administration at the centre in South -South. Some of these projects are listed as follows: approved contracts of N47 billion for road projects in the country, including redesigning & reconstruction of the Aba/Port-Harcourt section of the Enugu/Port-Harcourt Expressway and the approved dredging of Port Harcourt Seaport and provision of navigational aids for Escravos at the sum of N13 billion on the same day.
The party also mentioned the release of N900 billion owed the Niger Delta Development Corporation (NDDC) by previous federal administrations including the administration of Dr. Jonathan to assist the body complete most of her projects in Rivers State and other States in the Niger Delta region, the allocation of over one Hundred and twenty five billion Naira (N125b) out of the N8.612 trillion appropriation bill presented by President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday, November 7, 2017 to the National Assembly to fund capital projects in 2018 in the Niger Delta region, the N53.89 billion earmarked for Niger Delta Ministry and N71.2 billion for Niger Delta Development Commission for capital projects as well as the budgetary allocation for the Niger Delta amnesty programme retained at N65 billion with the budgetary allocation of N17.32 billion earmarked for the completion of the East-West Road.
The party said Rivers State will benefit from the Maritime University located at Okerenkoko in Delta State with N5bn budgeted in the 2018 budget for its formal take off.
‘’This is a university aimed at to assist in the development and emancipation of the Niger Delta region.’’
To demonstrate the seriousness over the full implementation of the Ogoni clean-up exercise and the execution of the Multi-Billion Naira Bomu-Bonny road project budgetary provisions were all made in the 2018 budget which when completed would open up the economic potentials of the Niger Delta Region beyond the shores of Nigeria all in Rivers State.
Eze said that the APC-led Federal Government apart from above named projects, embarked upon the following projects – the Calabar – Lagos Rail Line that cuts across the State, the renovation/reconstruction of both Enugu – Port Harcourt and the West-East Road, the renovation of the Afam Power plant in Rivers State, resumption of work on the Port Harcourt International Airport, renovation and reconstruction of the Enugu – Port Harcourt Rail Line, among other projects all these projects that were abandoned by the PDP governments.
He also mentioned the appointment of sons and daughters of the region into key and crucial Ministries and Agencies.
The party recalled that Dr. Goodluck Jonathan a son of the region in his six years as the President of Nigeria acknowledged that he failed Rivers State and the Niger Delta region by not embarking on any meaningful project in the region apart from imposing Chief Nyesom Wike as the Governor of Rivers State to promote insecurity in the State and the region.
The party further stated that the APC led FG under President Buhari has proved within less than three years that APC has the best interest of the State and region at heart by the various interventions the Federal Government has embarked upon in the region within the last three years and will surely be supported for his second term bid.
The APC finally urged Niger Delta people to consider the interests that President Buahri have demonstrated towards the region and not to make the blunder of the 2015 where they mistakenly supported a ‘son’ who failed the region woefully.
