Buhari laying foundation to move S’East to next level – Osinbajo

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has described a South-east State, Anambra, as having a special place in the heart of President Muhammadu Buhari.

According to him, Buhari’s nomination of notable persons from Anambra State into the federal cabinet, government ongoing important projects in the South-east region, signal new beginning, vision and direction for the region and its people.

A statement by Osinbajo’s media aide, Laolu Akande, said the Vice President spoke in Awka, Anambra State capital, during an All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders’ summit.

The meeting was attended by party leaders in the Southeast, including acting APC State Chairman, Chief Basil Ejidike; former Governor Chris Ngige; APC governorship candidate Tony Nwoye and National Auditor Sir George Moghalu. Former President of the Senate Ken Nnamani was represented by Eugene-Odo, former Speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly.

Osinbajo also said at the meeting that Buhari has laid the foundation to move the South-east region to the next level.

To buttress his claims, Osinbajo said, “In 2015, people were saying don’t join APC, it is a Northern party or Southwest party. So, some were not convinced that they should belong. It is time for a new beginning; it is time for a new vision, it is time for a new direction.

“I believe that Anambra has a special place in Mr. President’s heart. First, in his political career, the first two times he ran for President, his Vice Presidential nominees were from this state – the late Chuba Okadigbo (from Ekwueme Ogbunike) and Edwin Ume-Ezeoke (Amichi).

“Aside from that, I am glad that the chairman of our party has noted that the President has appointed Anambra indigenes and implemented projects – the Second Niger Bridge; Zik Mausoleum, (contract originally awarded in 1996, completed and opened by the Buhari administration); the 18km Onitsha/Awka Road, ongoing Onitsha/Enugu Expressway (Sukuk-funded), electrification project at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka (making the campus one of the first Nigerian Universities to be given its own independent power supply provided by the Federal Government).

“Anambra is today one of the seven states that has two ministers in the present cabinet.”

He spoke also on Buhari government’s Social Investment Programme, under the National Homegrown School Feeding Programme, saying that the number of pupils currently being fed is “119,760 in 869 schools, while 1,045 cooks have been engaged.”

He clarified that the Social Investment Programmes, especially the N-Power programme, are not executed along party lines.

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He said, “It is for Nigerians irrespective of which party you belong, under the N-Power, candidates have to fill the form online, you do not need to belong to our party. Under the N-Power scheme, Anambra has 16,348 beneficiaries while under the TraderMoni loan scheme, 30,774 loans have been disbursed. Under MarketMoni, 4,340 persons have benefitted, while 7,207 have been paid under the Conditional Cash Transfer scheme.”

He then called on party leaders and faithful to leverage on the good deeds of the Federal Government to work for the party’s growth ahead of future elections.

“I am here to open a fresh chapter. Life is dynamic; things are moving on every day. Standing still or not moving is not an option. Anyone or group that fails to move in a dynamic environment will find that you are actually going backwards. Anambra State must move on,” he said.

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