In First Official Visit to Enugu, Tinubu Vows to Develop S’East

Gideon Arinze writes about President Bola Tinubu’s recent one-day official visit to Enugu State during which he met with critical stakeholders from the South East region where he pledged to evenly develop the five states that make up the geo-political zone.

At about 2pm on Saturday, January 4, 2025, the Presidential Jet, Nigeria Air Force 1 bearing Nigeria’s President, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu landed at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu. Outside the airport, a cheery crowd was waiting to receive the president who was on first official working visit to the state since becoming president on May 29, 2023.

From the airport, the president and his entourage, including the Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, went straight to the Government Technical College, Enugu, where he inaugurated one of the Smart Schools constructed by the administration of Governor Peter Mbah.

It was only one out of several projects inaugurated by the president that Saturday. The president also inaugurated 150 patrol vehicles fitted with AI-embedded surveillance cameras, the International Conference Centre, the New Haven/Bisalla Road project, among others.

At the Government House, Tinubu rounded off his visit to the state with an interactive session with leaders of the Southeast region who used the opportunity to make varying demands of his administration.

Time to get Nigeria working

In his address, President Tinubu said with the elections already over, it was time to unite and build Nigeria, noting that leaders must make good their pledges to the people.

“We must build this house called Nigeria to not just satisfy our immediate need, but our tomorrow too,” he said. “That’s why the removal of the fuel subsidy was necessary. We can not spend the future of generation yet unborn in advance. Don’t bankrupt the nation before they’re born.”

The president maintained that there’s no better investment than the investment on human capital development and the security of lives and property.

Demand for completion of rail line project

While applauding the Tinubu’s administration for completing the Port Harcourt to Aba section of the Eastern rail line during the session, former Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo appealed to the President to prioritise the completion of the remaining portions of the rail link to boost Nigeria’s non-oil exports and economic growth.

Tinubu made a firm commitment that his administration would complete the Eastern Rail line connecting Port Harcourt to Maiduguri while pledging to develop the huge oil and gas resources in the Anambra Basin.

“It is a work-in-progress. I inherited some of these critical problems and am committed to solving them,” he said.

The president pledged that the federal government would continue to support Enugu and other states in their development efforts.

Commendation for Mbah

At each of the locations where he inaugurated projects, President Tinubu hailed Governor Mbah for demonstrating what he described as an irrevocable commitment to human and infrastructural developments.

He said Mbah “is doing a fantastic job and I am glad that Enugu got a very good job tomorrow, today.  I salute Peter Mbah for his commitment to development, You have built up a good team”.

Tinubu reiterated that he didn’t care what party Mbah comes from as what matters is to get the job done, adding that the governor was already doing that.

His words: “I am very proud of Nigeria. Mbah is proud of Nigeria. He is doing everything possible to provide security, attracting foreign investors, and other investors locally”.

He urged leaders of the region and well meaning citizens to continue to cooperate and collaborate with Mbah who, he says, is really committed to pushing the development of Enugu State and be a good symbol of south eastern states.

S’East leaders want roadblocks dismantled

During the interactive session, leaders of the Southeast region appealed to President Tinubu to order the immediate dismantling of hundreds of checkpoints and roadblocks across the region, which were contributing to the rising cost of transportation.

Presenting the zonal leaders’ position, the Commissioner representing the South-east at the Police Service Commission (PSC), Mr. Onyemuche Nnamani noted that checkpoints and roadblocks have a lot of drawbacks, which have negatively affected the economy of the people in the zone and even constitute a security risk.

He explained that with the modern command and control centre, ultra-modern statewide CCTV, modern cameras mounted on patrol cars, some of which were inaugurated in Enugu, as well as other strategies put in place, there was no need for the traditional checkpoints and roadblocks.

“With these facilities, we are confident that there’s less need for the traditional practice of mounting roadblocks at checkpoints,” he said.

“Checkpoints, in my view, have many drawbacks, checkpoints, and roadblocks make the movement of goods and persons very expensive, very inefficient, and increase the cost of logistics, leading to high inflation,” Nnamani told the President.

Tinubu pledged that the federal government, under his leadership would continue to support Enugu and other states in the region in their development efforts.

Leaders and millions of residents from the geo-political zone hope that President Tinubu’s visit to Enugu, considered to be the capital of the Southeast, would bring about positive changes in terms of infrastructure and general wellbeing of the people.