Nigerian Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has lambasted the People Democratic Party PDP for being bandied that the Buhari Administration has nothing to campaign with in the run-up to the 2023 general elections.
The Minister who mocked the Party at the 2nd Edition of the “PMB Administration Scorecard 2015-2023 Series in Abuja on Monday, said the Party (PDP) that presided over the affairs of the great country in a time of plenty, but could not complete a single modern rail line, accusing an Administration that has completed at least three standard gauge rail-lines of lacking in achievements.
According to him, “Indeed, the Buhari Administration is spoilt for choice in
celebrating its achievements. As I said, we have completed the Abuja- Kaduna, Lagos-Ibadan and Itakpe- Warri Standard Gauge Rail-lines, we have commissioned brand new airport terminals in Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt.
“We have completed housing projects in 35 states, we have constructed or are constructing road projects in every state, we have the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme that has almost weaned us from dependence on imported rice and other crops, we met 15 standard rice mills and now we have over 50.
“We have our unprecedented National Social Investment Programme under which 9.8 million school children are fed one meal daily, under which 1 million youth have been empowered and another 500,000 who are undergoing trainings under the N-Power and the 1,632,480 households that have been enrolled in the Conditional Cash Transfer Programme.
“And we are proud of the Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure (also known as Deep Blue Asset), aimed at managing, controlling and protecting Nigerian waterways towards advancement of coastal prosperity”, he said.
The Minister further said the Party (PDP) are quick to point to some economic indices like the Naira exchange rate and inflation, but the truth is that if they were the ones confronted with having to fight a once-in-a-century pandemic, two economic recessions and low oil prices, Nigeria would have had no economy to even talk about.
The Minister of Transportation, Malam Muazu Jaji Sambo highlighting his presentation of at the “PMB Administration Scorecard 2015-2023 Series, said after necessary safety and security measures, the Abuja- Kaduna train services will resume this November.
Adding that the Federal Government will kick-start the process leading to the construction of a rail-line from Abuja to Itakpe, with a branch line to Baro, while the Government Railway Modernization Programme is to link every state capital by rail.
He stated further that the Dala Inland Port in Kano State is about 70% completed and has been linked to the rail-lines. “Other Inland Ports at various levels of completion are Isiala Ngwa, Abia; Erunmu, Ibadan; Heipang, Jos and Maiduguri.
“The Kaduna Inland Dry Port (KIDP) was declared a port of Origin of Exports and Destination of Imports and commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari on 4th January 2018. The Funtua Inland Dry Port is
the next in line to be so declared within this November”.
Sambo revealed that since President Muhammadu Buhari commissioned the Deep Blue Project in June 2021, Nigeria has not recorded a single incident of piracy in its maritime domain.
Also, he said within the period under review (2015-2023, the moribund commercial railway services in Nigeria were resuscitated by the administration of President Buhari, while locomotives and coaches were procured and others refurbished.
“Work is ongoing at the Kajola (Ogun State) Railway Wagon Assembly Plant. The Lekki Deep Sea Port is Nigeria’s largest sea port with a draught of 16.5m, whose development was started and completed by the President Buhari administration.
“The Buhari Administration has approved the development of the Badagry Deep Sea Port which, upon completion, would have about 2.5km quay length container terminal, 0.5km quay length break bulk terminal, 360m quay length OSB terminal and minimum of 18m draught. It is also expected to generate 250,000 direct jobs”.