The Nation Newspaper

Tag: infrastructural development

  • FG slams PDP over infrastructural development in South East, South South

    Information and Culture Minister  Lai Mohammed, has challenged the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to present its scorecard of achievements, especially in the area of infrastructural development, in the South-East and the South-South in its 16 years in office.

    The Minister  threw the challenge while inspecting ongoing construction of the Enugu/ Port Harcourt Expressway on Thursday.

    He said it is disheartening that some politicians have made it their pastime to criticize the current administration for allegedly neglecting the two regions without any verifiable proof.

    “I’m particularly glad that we came on this trip for two reasons. I think it has given the lie to those naysayers, who have painted the administration as having done nothing for the South-East and the South-South,” he said.

    “When we were coming on this (third) stretch of the road, I was informed that until this administration came, an entire lane was completely impassable after it was turned to a refuse dump. Now the question is: In 16 years, what did the PDP do on the Enugu-Port Harcourt Road?

    ‘’Everything that we saw (along the Enugu-Port Harcourt road) today is what this administration has achieved, yet some politicians are so fraudulent. They sit in Abuja and accuse the administration of doing nothing for the South-East and the South-South.”

    Alhaji Mohammed said the intervention of the present administration in the provision of infrastructure in the South-East, in particular, has exposed the PDP for deceiving the people of the region for the 16 years it was in power without anything to show.

    ‘’From what you have seen yesterday and today, you will see that this administration has done so much for this zone. We can now see that some people are just misinforming the public. I am glad that from the feedback we are getting, the people in the South-East know what is going on because they know what was going on for 16 years and are also here in the last three years and they have seen the difference,” he said.

    The Minister gave the assurance that the federal government will remain focused on completing inherited projects across the country.

    “The most important thing is that this government has been faithful, sincere, passionate and committed towards infrastructural development.  What we are doing has never been done in almost 16 to 20 years at least along this axis,” he said.

    The minister, who is currently on a nationwide media tour of federal  government infrastructural projects, had earlier inspected ongoing work at the Second Niger Bridge, where he expressed satisfaction with the pace of work.

     

  • NDDC partners army on infrastructural development

    NDDC partners army on infrastructural development

    The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) is set to partner the Nigerian Army on infrastructural development to support the newly-established 6 Division, with headquarters in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

    Managing Director of NDDC, Nsima Ekere, yesterday at the commission’s corporate headquarters in Port Harcourt, spoke on the partnership, which he referred to as bonding, when the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 6 Division, Maj.-Gen. Enobong Okon Udoh, led an entourage of top military officers of the division to pay him a courtesy visit.

    Ekere said: “NDDC will partner the 6 Division on the development of infrastructure at its headquarters in Port-Harcourt. We will look at a plan that covers a five-year period, in which the NDCC will partner the Army to develop infrastructure for the new division.”

    Managing director of the Federal Government’s interventionist agency also stated that it was in the interest of both parties to ensure that the partnership worked, not just for the mutual benefit of the NDDC and the Nigerian army, but also for the long-term benefit of Nigerians.

    He lauded the 6 division’s leadership for its contributions to the improved security in the Niger Delta region.

    Ekere said: “There is need for more collaboration and interface between the Nigeria Army and the commission, for the sake of the Niger Delta region.

    “We will set up a team to look at your areas of need, to see where we can intervene immediately and others that we can deal with in the years ahead.”

    The NDDC chief also disclosed that the board of the commission was focused on implementing the Niger Delta Regional Development Master Plan, through its new strategy of enhanced service delivery.

    He said the new strategy was anchored on the 4-R initiative, meant to Restructure the balance sheet, Reform the governance protocols, Restore the core mandate and Reaffirm the collective commitment to doing what is right and proper.

    The commission’s managing director commended the GOC for achieving so much in a very short time of assumption of duty in Port Harcourt.

    He said: “You have done a lot already, turning the barracks into a construction site. These are commendable efforts.

    “The Niger Delta region not only produces the wealth of the country, we are also a region that needs a lot of infrastructural development, because of the challenging terrain, which requires a lot of resources.

    “The security challenge of the Niger Delta is major area of concern. ‘Operation Delta Safe’ is a commendable effort. The Army and other military agencies have done well for our collective security in the region. We appreciate the efforts of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, who has led from the front to make Nigeria safe.”

    In his remarks, the GOC solicited more support from the NDDC, while informing the commission’s managing director that the division, which was established eight months ago, needed support to provide adequate infrastructure for its officers and men, as well as support its operations, covering Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta states.

    He said: “I am here to solicit your support in developing our infrastructure. I request the NDDC management to undertake a tour of the 6 Division’s headquarters.

    “We are working on providing transit accommodation. There are still more to be done. We, therefore, ask for a deliberate partnership with the NDDC.

    “We are mandated to fight the threats to security, to ensure that there is peace for developmental activities.”

    Udoh also stated that the establishment of the 6 division in the army would go a long way in addressing some of the peculiar challenges of the Niger Delta region.

  • Infrastructural development key to economic diversification, says expert

    An economist and entrepreneur Mr Alfred Kanayo has said infrastructural development in key sectors of the economy is imperative for the country to attain economic diversification.
    Kanayo, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, said economic diversification of any country begins with the building of strong infrastructure.
    According to him, this will aid growth of small businesses which formed the backbone of the economy.
    The expert said no business could succeed without reliable power, roads, or modern means of transportation, adding that the lack of modern infrastructure had made economic diversification impossible.
    Kanayo said to diversify, government should as a matter of urgency shift its focus away from oil and direct its energy to establishing strong structures.
    “The main challenge we had as a nation was the over concentration on oil because over 90 per cent of our foreign exchange comes from oil and when there was crisis in the oil market, it affected us greatly.
    “The reality is that this is not sustainable; no country could survive that way, especially when structures were not built to reinvest the surplus that was coming in at the time.
    “So, for this government to achieve diversification, the first thing to do is to create infrastructure in key areas like manufacturing, energy, science and technology.
    “Research is the solution to many of our problems in terms of energy development, and infrastructure in science and technology must be provided to enable scientists undertake meaningful researches,’’ Kanayo said.
    The expert, therefore, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to take seriously the provision of infrastructure which according to him was the only way the country could move forward.
    The economist urged the present administration to also focus more on the non-oil sector and build enduring structures to develop and sustain agriculture, solid minerals, manufacturing, and even entertainment.

  • We need infrastructural development in Lokoja

    We need infrastructural development in Lokoja

    This is to inform Governor Idris Wada that the Lokoja II State Constituency in Kogi State lacks infrastructural development, and the people of the locality are not happy with the situation.

    We need regular power supply, potable water, good roads and excellent medical care in Kupa, Kakanda, Oworo and Eggan wards.

    The provision of these facilities will foster rapid rural development and help to checkmate the rural-urban drift being experienced.

    I am also imploring the governor to reconstruct the Jamata-Budan-Abugi-Eggan road. This is one of the major roads in Kogi State. The reconstruction of the road will bring about the rapid economic development of the area.

    Governor Wada is capable of providing these amenities. And we expect him to do so urgently.

    Suleiman I. Shehu Fikara,

    Port-Harcourt, Rivers State.