President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been commended for ensuring that federal projects initiated under the former administration in the country continue and for addressing insecurity.
The immediate past Member representing Ikwuano/Umuahia at the National Assembly, Rt. Hon. Sam Onuigbo, handed down this commendation on Sunday after touring some ongoing projects he facilitated in his constituency as a federal lawmaker. He also praised the way President Tinubu has been curtailing insurgency and insecurity in the country.
Onuigbo, who now serves as a member representing the South East on the Governing Board of the North East Development Commission (NEDC), expressed his satisfaction that even though he is no longer in the green chamber, “with politics and elections over, the Tinubu government deserves commendation and recognition for maintaining an admirable momentum in ensuring the execution of projects awarded under the previous administration.”
He expressed his happiness that ongoing projects he facilitated, including the Umuahia-Ikwuano-Ikot Ekpene federal road, the Achingali-Udo Obizi (all in Imo State) – Umunwanwa-Ubakala (in Abia State), are progressing, with the Imo River bridges destroyed during the Nigeria-Biafra civil war being reconstructed. He stated, “It is a joy to see that these projects are advancing.”
Others, he said, include the federal Secretariat projects, with the groundbreaking ceremony expected to take place soon.
He also commended Abia State Governor Alex Otti for having “done exceedingly well,” adding, “You can easily see who wants to exercise leadership and engage in achieving good governance. He has done well and has also played a role in ensuring that the federal secretariat is on the right track.
“Otti has shown cooperation and willingness to provide governance,” he said, assuring the governor of his continued support. He added, “It is not about party affiliation, but good governance for the people.”
Regarding insurgency and insecurity, Rt. Hon. Onuigbo said that compared to 2017, “insurgency has significantly decreased” and commended the federal government for its efforts in addressing insurgency in the country and preventing it from creating instability as it did in the past.
He disclosed that the North East Development Commission, NEDC was established through the Act of the National Assembly in 2017 “to take care of challenges from insurgency, and degradation from ecological impact”, adding that its function includes to rehabilitate, resettle, reconstruct houses of victims of insurgency and other problems, including tackling the issue of illiteracy. He said that the commission is doing a lot in these regards.
According to Onuigbo who is the chairman in charge of security, climate change and Special Intervention st the commission, “Great efforts have been made to control insurgency. It is not even the commission alone, we are receiving support both by what the comission is doing and then, what some international organizations are doing and then what the federal government is doing in terms of the military being able to fight insurgency.
“So, the federal government should be commended for how they have been tackling this and resetting people”.
He disclosed that none North Easterners are also benefitting from the activities of the Commission, adding that apart from the people of the North East, Igbos living and doing business in parts of the North East are also reaping the gains of the establishment of the NEDC.
According to him, the people of the South East, just like indigenes of their host communities, are now enjoying a better secured environment in parts of North East, stating “Our people who are living and doing business in the North East, their houses and businesses were destroyed alongside those of the indigenes are aldo benefiting. Every destruction in the North East affects the South East.
“We contribute to the development of the North East and we have our people working and living in the North East”.
