Presidency to Unveil 1,321 Legacy Projects By Buhari

•President says FG building massive road infrastructure to boost business, tackle poverty

Deji Elumoye in Abuja and  Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti

The Presidency yesterday disclosed that it would unveil 1,321 legacy projects by the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in a media campaign.

This, according to a statement issued by the Media Adviser to the President, Femi Adesina, was in continuation of the commemoration of the seventh anniversary of the president.

The campaign, to be unveiled in a series of online publications, he said, would, in collaboration with the Presidential Media Team, coordinated by Barrister Ata Ikiddeh.

“The aim of this awareness is to inform, educate, engage and empower Nigerians to the notable achievements and patriotic vision of the president for the country.

“The first component of this social media-driven project will be the launch of, “Buhari’s Government Has Zero Projects” with the hashtag: #BuharisGovernmentHasZeroProjects showcasing 1,321 under-reported, completed and ongoing infrastructural projects of this Administration across the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory including the 774 Local Government Areas, 8,809 wards and over 44,045 villages and communities all over the country. It is time to tell the truth,” the statement added.

Buhari: FG Building Massive Road Infrastructure to Boost Business, Tackle Poverty

Meanwhile, Buhari, has disclosed that his government had been engaging in aggressive road infrastructure across the country to enhance ease of doing business and tackle the pervasive poverty ravaging citizens. 

Buhari spoke in Efon Alaaye, Efon Local Government area of Ekiti State, yesterday, while inaugurating a 22 -kilometre Efon Alaaye-Iwaraja – Erinmo road constructed by his administration.

The president, represented by the Minister of Trade, Industry and Investment, Chief Niyi Adebayo, advised Nigerians to maintain 100 kms per hour while driving on highways as a safety measure.

The number one citizen said the completion of the road further reinforced the commitment of his administration to improving road transport infrastructure, the ease of doing business and as well create jobs and prosperity that could lift the people out of poverty.

“Accordingly, for the avoidance of any doubt, I wish to reiterate that the maximum driving speed on this and other Federal Highways nationwide. We want you alive to witness and be part of the prosperity and promise of Nigeria.

“We can confidently say that as we enter the final lap of the tenure of the Buhari’s administration, we are also entering a season of completion and delivery of projects.

As you can all see, we are handing over today the 22 Kilometre Road, which links the three towns of Efon Alaaye in Ekiti State and Erinmo and Iwaraja in Osun State.

“By linking Ekiti and Osun States together, this road becomes a critical component of our national road network. This road has been built to the highest quality of design and if it is well used and not abused, it should last for the designed service life.

“Road abuse takes many forms such as overloading, over speeding, pavement damage, spilling of petroleum products, which dissolves all the components and allows water to penetrate, and converting the road shoulders to permanent parking places, that brings the road failure from the shoulder.

“We must all do our best to avoid these practices, report them when they occur and act in a lawful manner to stop them,” he said.

The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, represented by the Director of Area Highways, Southwest, Engr. Adedamola Kuti, said Ekiti and Osun States would enjoy economic boost with the completion of the road.

Fashola said: “This road represents major investment in road infrastructure. They are visible and incontrovertible assets Nigerians are interested in. We will continue to embark on innovative action to ensure that we source money to construct more roads for the use of Nigerians.

“Let me thank all the host communities for their collaboration and strong partnership in the delivery of the project. Road signs were put on many of these roads to reduce carnage and accidents, but you know the attitudes of our people, they had been removed.”

Also speaking, the Director of the KOPEK Construction Company, Mr. Issam Feghali, said the road was awarded to the firm by the federal government in 2019, at the cost of N4 billion.

He expressed commitment that road would not only improve transportation, but would boost the economic potentials of the towns around that axis.

Feghali appreciated the host community for providing security and other needed impetus to be able to complete the projects in record time.