Vice-President Kashim Shettima says President Bola Tinubu’s administration is driving economic growth and improving security in the south-east through investments in infrastructure, agriculture and human capital development.
Shettima spoke on Monday at the All Progressives Congress
(APC) presidential campaign rally in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi state capital.
He said the federal government’s interventions were aimed at
improving regional connectivity, strengthening food security, expanding
economic opportunities and addressing development challenges in the region.
The vice-president said the Tinubu administration had
demonstrated its commitment to Ebonyi through major infrastructure projects,
federal appointments and policies aimed at improving residents’ welfare.
“We have never turned our backs on you. We have answered
your support with projects and His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has
honoured Ebonyi through distinguished appointments and projects across the
state,” he said.
Shettima said the government was seeking a renewed mandate
to continue its development programmes, describing public office as an
obligation to improve citizens’ lives.
“If any state can speak with confidence about the dividends
of democracy, it is Ebonyi. You have stood by us. You have assured us that a
mandate is a debt of honour, repayable only through service,” he said.
“Yet democracy demands the humility of asking again. We have
returned to seek the renewal of your mandate, to serve you, to defend you, and
to stand by you.”
Highlighting infrastructure investments, Shettima listed the
Calabar–Ebonyi–Benue–Kogi–Nasarawa–Abuja superhighway as one of the major
projects expected to strengthen trade and economic integration between the
south-east, north-central and other parts of the country.
He also mentioned the Ndibe Bridge, which is expected to
link Ebonyi with Cross River state, as well as ongoing work on the
Enugu–Abakaliki–Ogoja expressway and the Okposi–Ohaozara–Ukawu–Cross River
road.
The vice-president said the projects would improve the
movement of agricultural produce and manufactured goods while reducing
logistical challenges for businesses and communities.
On agriculture, Shettima described Ebonyi as an important
contributor to Nigeria’s food security, particularly through rice and cassava
production.
He said the federal government was supporting farmers
through fertiliser distribution, interest-free FarmerMoni assistance and other
agricultural development programmes.
Shettima also disclosed that thousands of beneficiaries in
Ebonyi had received grants under the presidential conditional grant scheme,
while federal employment and digital skills initiatives were creating
opportunities for young people.
On security, he said the Tinubu administration had
intensified efforts to restore stability across the south-east, adding that
economic development depended on the safety of communities, businesses and
critical infrastructure.
The vice-president identified the establishment and
commencement of operations at the Nigerian Army Recruits Training Depot at
Amasiri–Edda in Ebonyi as one of the federal government’s security
interventions in the region.
“The security of the south-east has changed since President
Bola Ahmed Tinubu became Commander-in-Chief over three years ago. We have
worked to restore order, and we will keep working,” he said.
Shettima also cited the establishment of the South East
Development Commission, the launch of the South-East Vision 2050 and the
approval of the South East Investment Company as initiatives designed to
accelerate regional development and attract investment.
He commended Francis Nwifuru, governor of Ebonyi, for
deploying increased federal revenue allocations towards infrastructure and
essential public services.
Speaking at rally, governor of Ebonyi reaffirmed the state’s
support for Tinubu, saying Ebonyi had benefited from the administration’s
economic reforms and road infrastructure interventions.
“Under President Tinubu, the poor roads in our state and
zone are now better. We now enjoy special road interventions,” he said.
He, however, appealed to the federal government to support
the provision of a 330kV electricity transmission line to improve power supply
across the state.
Nwifuru also pledged that Ebonyi would deliver 80 percent of
its votes to Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
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