As President Muhammadu Buhari commences a two day visit to the South Eastern part of Nigeria to commission some projects carried out by the State Government, some online media houses have given prominence to the reportage of the threats made by the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Punch, Daily Post Nigeria, Naija and the Guardian among others have screaming headlines which shows IPOB’s threat and says little about the substance of the Presidential visit.
A search on Google will generate almost only news about the threat and virtually nothing on the beauty and progress the visit represents.
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has made a stop at Enugu State where he was welcomed by a huge crowd of supporters. He spent close to 30minutes with the excited people of Enugu State before he was airlifted to Ebonyi State.
In Ebonyi State, he inaugurated the N2bn Flyover Bridge built by Ebonyi Government, and also unveiled the statue of Akanu Ibiam. The President was conferred with a traditional title ‘Enyioma 1’ of Ebonyi State by the State Traditional Ruler’s Council.
The President’s visit also clears the air on what he meant when he spoke on the subject of political patronage at the United States Institute of Peace, where he described the way most democracies work, saying the one who gave 95% did not get the same as the one gave five percent votes.
He thereafter said “I am a different kind of leader”, explaining that he would be fair and just to all citizens irrespective of the way they voted. He added that Nigeria’s constitution protects all citizens and all parts thereof by making specific provisions for fair and balanced distribution of appointments and projects.
In September 2017, all the South East Governors under the auspices of South East Governors’ Forum and Ohaneze Ndigbo announced the proscription of activities of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, (IPOB).
Meanwhile, the media has taken special interest in hyping and singing marginalization in the South-East, as well as other negative issues. For example, it was falsely reported that soldiers were invading Schools in the South East and injecting children with monkey pox.
The following are a list of Federal projects on-going or earmarked for the South East.
1. Rehabilitation of Owerri – Umuahia Road Sections I, II, III in Imo/Abia States
2. Rehabilitation of Enugu – Port Harcourt Dual Carriageway Section II
3. Ongoing construction work on the Rehabilitation of Enugu – Port Harcourt Dual Carriageway Section II
4. Rehabilitation of Ikot Ekpene – Ikot Umuoessien – Aba Road in Abia / Akwa – Ibom States
5. Ongoing construction work on the Rehabilitation of Ikot Ekpene – Ikot Umuoessien – Aba Road in Abia / Akwa – Ibom States
6. Ongoing construction work on the Rehabilitation of Enugu – Port Harcourt Dual Carriageway
7. Ongoing construction work on the Rehabilitation of Ikot Ekpene – Ikot Umuoessien – Aba Road in Abia / Akwa – Ibom States.
8. Enugu-Aba- Port Harcourt Expressway, which runs through Anambra, Enugu, Imo, Abia and Ebonyi States covering about 31 roads as well as construction of pedestrian bridges and flyovers, traffic signs and lights; the outstanding section of Onitsha-Enugu Road.
9. Umana-Ndiagu-Adaebele-Udi Road in Ndiagu, Nsukka—Oboloafor -Ihamufu Road
10. Ninth Mile-Nsukka-Oboloafor Road.
11. Ohafia-OsoRoad (In Ebonyi and Abia States: 11.7 km)
12. Nnenwe-Uduma-Uburu Road, Section1 (14 km in Enugu/Ebonyi)
13. Rehabilitation of Abakaliki-Afikpo Road; Section 1 (20.5 km)
14. Rehabilitation of Abakaliki-Afikpo Road Section 11 (19.5 km)
15. Construction of Obubra-Ikwo-Onueke-Nkomoro-Agba-Ezekuna-Ogboji-Nara-Cross River Border Road (7 km)
16. Aba-Port Harcourt Dual Carriageway (section 11)
17. Umuahia Tower-Aba Township Rail/Road Bridge Crossing (56.1Km)
18. Rehabilitation of Lokpanta-Umuahia Tower (59.5km)
19. Rehabilitation of Calabar-Itu-Ikot-Ekpene-Aba-Owerri Section 111
20. Ikot-Ekpene-Ikot Umuoessien-Aba Roadin Abia/Akwa-Ibom (43.2km)
21. Owerri-Umuahia Road, Sections 1,11 and 111
22. The Ikot-Ekpene Border: Aba-Owerri Dualisation Road Section 1, Phase 1 (11.26km)
23. Mbaise-Ngwa Road Ohase 1 (14 km)
24. Amanwaozuzu-Uzoagba-Eziama-Orie-AmakohiaRoad (10km)
25. Oba-Nnewi-Okigwe Road Section 11
26. Second Niger Bridge
27. Construction of New International Terminal in Enugu.
28. The coastal rail line has its route alignment passing through Aba in Abia State and Onitsha in Anambra State.
29. With the dredging of the river Niger commissioned by NIWA, the yearning for maritime access to the sea by the south-east and the North as well, is just a matter of time for it to be realized.
