Tinubu in Anambra, comits to development of South-East

By Obinna Unaeze

President Bola Tinubu, on Thursday, affirmed his commitment to the development of the South-East, promising to integrate Anambra and the entire region into the Federal Government’s economic development plan.

Tinubu made the pledge when he paid a one-day working visit to the state to inaugurate projects completed by Gov. Chukwuma Soludo’s administration.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the projects included Solution FunCity, Anambra Country Club, New Government Lodge and New Presidential Lodge.

The president also inaugurated the Emeka Anyaoku Institute for International Students and Diplomacy centre at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.

In a speech at the event, he said: “Your son, Chukwuma Soludo, is a progressive, therefore I will work with him to bring progress to Anambra and the entire South-East region.

“Let me assure you that the Federal Government will support Anambra and entire South-East in their economic and development projects to succeed.”

Tinubu also said that the support would include saving the state and the region from their perennial gully erosion menace.

He further promised that the South-East would benefit a gas plant from the abundant gas deposit in the area.

The President assured the people that the road linking Anambra and Kogi would be accorded priority in order to reduce the long-distance of between eight and nine hours travel.

He also pledged that the Federal Government would incorporate the South-East in the already designed railway plan currently being executed.

Tinubu emphasised the need for the Federal Government “to carry Nigerians along in its policies and programmes”, in order to facilitate the rapid development of the country.

“We will continue to partner with all Nigerians to develop our country.

“We must work together to make Nigeria great.

“Our diversity in Nigeria must transcend to economic prosperity and development,” the president said.

He expressed the optimism that the country would soon defeat insurgency and other security challenges.

Earlier, the governor had appealed to the Federal 11 for support to develop the state and the South East.

Soludo, however, announced that it had been the tradition of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) to support the government at the center as well as the political party.

He, therefore, endorsed Tinubu for a second term in office, saying that APGA, being the first progressive political party in Nigeria, shared the same progressive ideology with another progressive party, such as the All Progressives Congress.

“Our support for President Tinubu is rooted in the history on the principles of progressivism and progressive ideology and in 2011 the APGA supported the party that owned the government at the center and this has continued to date and I wish to announce that it has not changed.

“And in the spirit of Awoism and Michael Okpara, we share the same vision of true federalism, which you, Mr President, fought at a very high cost.

“We as a party announce that we shall continue in that stade to support the party at the center,” the governor said.

Also, the former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, said in a goodwill message that “governing a pluralist and complex state, such as Nigeria, needs strength and courage.

“We will continue to pray for you to address the pluralistic status of our country.

“I have confidence that your administration will address the insecurity and economic challenges of our country,” Anyaoku said.

He further endorsed Soludo for second term, insisting that the governor should come back to complete the good work he had started in the state.

“We are happy that you honoured the invitation of the people of Anambra to come and commission the wonderful projects of our dear governor,” he said.

NAN further reports that highpoints of the event was the conferment of the chieftaincy title of “Dike simba of Anambra,” (meaning the Great man of Anambra in diaspora) by the state Traditional Rulers Council, led by Igwe Chidubem Iweka. (NAN)