Extend railway projects to South-East, Ohanaeze tells Buhari

Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide has pleaded with President Muhammadu Buhari to extend his government’s railway projects to the South-East part of the country.

The Ohanaeze youth group made this plea in a statement on Sunday by its president-general, Okechukwu Isiguzoro and secretary-general, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike.

The group commended Buhari for his New Year’s speech where he assured that the Federal Government would focus on railways, agriculture, security and fight against corruption.

The group noted that “there’s no visible hope for the South-East in the railway master plan.” It, however, called on the president to extend the railway project to the South-East since most of the railway projects were being financed through foreign loans.

“We demand that South-East should benefit from it, We are asking when will some railway stations be renovated like the facilities in Lokoja, Agbo (Delta), Kaduna, Abuja, Ibadan – Oyo State, Lagos and other parts of the North, We demand an urgent attention on state of the dilapidated railway stations and train coaches abandoned across the South-East.

“We demand for new train coaches and demand for new railway lines connecting Onitsha-Owerri-Aba for traders’ benefits, We demand that President Buhari should revamp the Enugu Coal Mine which was part of his 2015 electoral promise not fulfilled during his first tenure”.

It lauded Buhari for the work on 2nd Niger bridge, Enugu Airport, and approval of Ebonyi Airport among others.

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Meanwhile, the youth group of Ohanaeze has said that year 2020 would be tougher for Igbos especially in areas of security, economic policies, social security/welfare and infrastructural facilities.

“Igbos should be their brothers’ keeper in the face of any adversity and provocative threats in order to avoid being sacrificial lamb and major casualties in the hardship that awaits Nigerians in 2020. Hunger and tough year awaits all.”

Ohanaeze youth also called on the South-East governors to emulate their counterpart in South-West by establishing a joint security outfit.

“OYC calls on the South-East governors to establish a joint security outfit that will uniformly curb crimes and insecurity challenges emanating from suspected herdsmen.

“We want the South-East Governors forum to replicate in the South East, the new security outfit recently announced by South-West Governors, “Amotekun”, which will commence work on January 9, 2020.

“All over the world, the security of lives and property remains the top priority of every government. OYC is ready to assist the South-East governors to draw up a master strategic plan, designed to provide palliative measures and prevent crime through partnerships with security agents and ensure that crime and insecurity challenges are reduced to a minimal level, for increased dividends of democracy, foreign investments and to make South-East safe for businesses to thrive.”

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