…….Hails Buhari for Being a True Son of the Region
Rivers State All Progressives Congress (APC) has described the allocation of over one Hundred and twenty five billion Naira (N125b) out of the N8.612 trillion appropriation bill presented by President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday, November 7, 2017 to the National Assembly to fund capital projects in 2018 in the Niger Delta region as unprecedented and a total demonstration of the unalloyed desire of President Muhammadu Buhari to right the wrongs the region suffered in the hands of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) particularly during the regime of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan whose regime was a misfortune for the region as he ensured that no project was situated in the region throughout his misfortune six years of ‘lootocracy’
The party in a press statement circulated on Monday by Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze the SSA Media and Public Affairs Consultant to the APC Rivers State Chairman, Dr Ibiamu Davies Ikanya further affirms that President Buhari has by this move proved his commitment to develop the Niger Delta region.
Continuing, the party said, “apart from the N53.89 billion earmarked for Niger Delta Ministry and N71.2 billion for Niger Delta Development Commission for capital projects, the region is also to benefit from the budgetary allocation for the Niger Delta amnesty programme retained at N65 billion with the budgetary allocation of N17.32 billion earmarked for the completion of the East-West Road.”
The APC explained that the region will also benefit from the huge allocations of N555.88 billion, for the ministry of power, works and housing and that of the ministry of Transportation with N263.1 billion plus other ministries as the 2018 budget estimates also contains the extension of Rail line to Warri in Delta State and the completion of the Uyo-Calabar Express Road.
The party expressed its profound joy for the inclusion and full implementation the Ogoni clean-up exercise and the execution of the Multi-Billion Naira Bomu-Bonny road project which when completed would open up the economic potentials of the Niger Delta Region beyond the shores of Nigeria. These projects will surely open not only the Niger Delta region but attract the elusive investments to the region. Based on this revolutionary trend by President Buhari who has proved that he is a true son of the region; the party after due thought and deliberation on the 2018 budget estimates rechristened the budget the budget of hope, peace, emancipation and unity of Niger Delta region.
The APC noted that the Niger Delta region lays the golden egg in which the economy of the country is sustained and therefore pleads for proper monitoring of spending in the area for any meaningful development to be achieved in order to sustain the peace and security in the Niger Delta for economic and social activities to thrive and to alleviate the suffering, poverty and environmental degradation associated with the region.
