Projects: South-East Govs set for showdown with FG

Ebonyi state Governor, David Umahi has commended the Federal government for capturing Southeast in their railway projects but insisted that South-East Governors are working for the project to be pushed to the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

Umahi who said that one of the risen southeast governors visited President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday was to talk about the much adorned second Niger bridge which has been awarded to Julius Berger revealed that the work would cost Federal government about 12 billion US dollars to execute.
He however rated the work done on the bridge below 15 percent.
“It is even less than 15%  that’s why we went on the visit but they told us that these things are in phases but the major phase has been awarded.
“We also told the federal government about the western corridor of the railway program while that is going on that of the western corridor that passed through Port Harcourt to  Aba to Ebonyi to Maidugiri is not going.
“We said very good we are happy about that,but it has not moved to the federal executive council so we are now pushing for it to move to FEC so that southeast will start benefiting like other places. So the work done is a preliminary work I think it should even be less than 15% but this is the major step they have taken by chosen Berger,and they have never abandoned any work so for chosen Berger it means the federal government is sincere.
The governor who disclosed this to journalist on Thursday in Abakaliki while inspecting ongoing projects in the state said that they visited Mr president because they are part of Nigeria.
According to him,South south was talking about oil; you talk about your comparative advantage. We went to talk about our bridge, we went to talk about international airport, we went to talk about the delay in the constriction of federal roads in the south east.
While  Umahi debunked the allegations that himself alongside other Southeast governors of Peoples Democratic Party PDP with the  Deputy senate President,Ike Ekwermadu were playing against their party, he said Nigerians should play less of politics and concentrate on the welfare of the people.
“We do extreme politics in Nigeria and politics should be separated from the welfare of the people. there is so much extreme politics from
the beginning of an election to another election. People that are into politics are all kinds of rubbish. We wouldn’t have gone if Mr. President had awarded the so much talked about second Niger Bridge.
“We went and said look; even the mobilization of N7bn is not enough. We want 50% mobilization to Julius Begger and the other 50% committed in the wealth fund so that we will be sure that the project will be done.
“So, It was a positive visit in the sense that we must separate politics from realities and the realities is that we need that second Niger Bridge and if he has awarded it, it is fair that we say thank you Mr. President. It is our right, it is not a favour to south east. It is the right of every body to get democracy dividends.
“So, south east will not say because predominantly they are PDP, they should shy away from the development of the south east by the federal government. For me, that is stupidity. We are not campaigning for anybody but we must say that the  welfare of south east, the problem of south east, the future of south east is beyond  partisan politics.
Associating the zone with any party that would take them serious, he also stated,” any party that wants to take south east very seriously, south east will take that person very seriously.
“So, we are not going to be begging people to support the  candidates; you have to tell us what you will do for us as a people and we will look at it and know whether you are speaking the truth and we will also inquire from God whether you will win because even if you promised heaven and earth and you will not win, wisdom demands we should  not support but if you are going to win through the powers of God because it is God that gives power we will support you.
“We want any party that will be serious about the plight of the south east. One important thing that newspapers did not report is that we also requested for a service chiefs when  visited Mr. President from south east because we don’t have any. And all that we requested are not new, they have been the things that our people have been clamouring for,”  Umahi said.

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