President Bola Tinubu has said his administration is committed to completing the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri eastern rail line.
Tinubu stated this in an interactive session with south-east leaders during his official visit to Enugu, according to a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
“It is a work in progress. I inherited some of these critical problems and am committed to solving them,” the President said.
Tinubu expressed commitment to supporting the development of the Anambra basin, adding that that the basin can hold up to one billion barrels of oil and 30 billion cubic feet of gas as an energy reserve for the country.
He commended the state governor, Peter Mbah, for his development strides and reiterated the Federal Government’s resolve to support Enugu.
“On the support of the gas infrastructure. Sure, gas is an alternative to petrol. There is no wasting of time than to invest more in it. We will do it together, and I am lucky I have good governors,” Tinubu said.
“This is a profound demonstration of what we can do together. It reassures me that more revenue going to the sub-nationals and local government is not a waste. It is for development.
“We have committed leaders like Peter Mbah taking Enugu on the path of 21st-century development, taking Enugu to greater heights, and building our tomorrow today,” Tinubu said.
Mbah thanked the President for establishing the South-East Development Commission and deregulating the electricity sector.
He said that his administration aims to grow Enugu’s economy from $4.4 billion to $30 billion within four years, to position the state among Nigeria’s top three with the highest gross domestic product (GDP).
“Your excellency, your credentials as a true federalist stand out brightly, and the legacies thereof will long earn you resounding accolades,” Mbah said.
“It is noteworthy that Enugu state was the first sub-national to which the NERC ceded regulatory oversight of the local electricity market. That reflects how swiftly we are pursuing our goals.”
Some of the projects inaugurated by the president include the smart green school, the New Haven/Bisalla road, the International Conference Centre, the Command and Control Centre, and 150 patrol vehicles equipped with surveillance cameras.