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Buhari promises to fund projects in the South-East despite budget delay

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Buhari promises to fund projects in the South-East despite budget delay

The delay in the passage of the 2018 federal budget notwithstanding, President Muhammadu Buhari has assured that all ongoing federal projects in the South East will be funded.

The President, who said the seven months delay in passing the budget would not be an excuse, gave the assurance during a meeting with South-East governors led by Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, on Wednesday at State House, Abuja.

Pledging Federal Gvernment’s sustained support to the South-East in terms of infrastructure, President Buhari said: ‘‘I assure you that we are doing our best and will not default on the agreements signed on ongoing projects.”

According to the President, part of the noticeable problems in the delay in the execution of the capital projects was caused by the budget hold-up.

He said: ‘‘When you sign, and you don’t pay, they (contractors) can legally jerk up their costs. This is part of the problem.

‘‘The infrastructure budget is a deficit budget. The borrowing plan was only approved three weeks ago and all ministers and departments of government have been instructed to forge ahead. We must not find excuses for delaying the projects.

‘‘Developing infrastructure is the best thing we can do. When the roads are okay, the rails are established and there is power, Nigerians will flourish in their businesses.’’

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The President also promised the Southeast delegation led by Ekweremadu, government would address the problem of the undulating surface of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu in the 2019 budget.

He also spoke of government’s serious interest in the new Port-Harcourt-Maiduguri standard gauge railway which traverses several states, including those in the South East.

The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, who joined President Buhari at meeting alongside the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, gave assurance that the project, the single most costly rail project at 12 billion dollars, would soon be coming to the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

The Ministers were also directed to follow up with the private sector on key projects in the region, including the South East Dry Port and the Geometric Power Plant in Aba, to untangle the problems causing their delayed take-off.

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