Fashola: APC Better than PDP, Buhari Not Interested in Stomach Infrastructure

Chineme Okafor in Abuja

The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, on Tuesday claimed the All Progressives Congress (APC) could not be compared with the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), adding that in so many ways the APC was better than the PDP.

He also stated that President Muhammadu Buhari believed more in the development of real infrastructure and not stomach infrastructure which he suggested the PDP believes in.

Speaking while playing host to the governor-elect of Ekiti State, and former Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, in his office in Abuja, Fashola said it was wrong for people to claim that the current administration was the same as the previous one.

He claimed the federal government under Buhari was political party blind in terms of developing Nigeria, adding that Buhari’s target was to develop real but not stomach infrastructure.

“Our developmental initiatives are party blind, they are people focused, they are Nigeria centred. The housing project, federal secretariat project, transmission projects are all projects that were initiated while the opposition party governed the state (Ekiti).

“I went there on a tour to ensure that these projects were going on and what this (courtesy) visit does is just to bring that into sharper focus now.

“People say, in my view wrongly, that there is no difference between us and them (opposition). There are lot of differences and this can be seen in our attitude to development, spending, the type of infrastructure that President Buhari believes in, real infrastructure, not stomach infrastructure,” said Fashola.

According to him, “There are fundamental ideological differences about how an economy and a government should be run. I think people must focus on those differences about how this government is doing more with less resources.”

Fashola said the government was focused on taking development to the grassroots through developing real infrastructure like good roads, rail, and power, in order to support farmers, workers and a huge percentage of Nigerians.

The minister congratulated Fayemi, but told him: “I don’t envy you because this is not an easy time to be a leader. However, I am sure that your previous experience in the state and at the national level will ultimately serve the interest of Ekiti people.”

On his part, Fayemi who spoke earlier, stated that his courtesy call on the minister was to solicit the assistance of the ministry in developmental works he intends to undertake in Ekiti.

“This is more of a private courtesy call on the minister and I am delighted to be here. I’ve come to solicit for assistance, his (Fashola’s) ministry is very crucial to the success of our state, particularly with regards to the developmental works around infrastructure such as power, housing and works,” said Fayemi.