Ben Ezechime, Enugu
Former Director-General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mr Osita Okechukwu, has lauded President Bola Tinubu for enlisting South-East in his renewed electricity roadmap of infrastructural development project, popularly known as “Light Up Nigeria.”
Okechukwu, a foundation member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), gave the commendation in Enugu on Tuesday while reacting to the recent South-East Business Roundtable for Light up Nigeria project.
The South-East Business Roundtable for Light up Nigeria project was held in Enugu on Monday and powered by the Niger Delta Power Holding Company Limited (NDPHC) and its partners.
The event, chaired by the Vice President, Sen. Kashim Shettima, was to launch an initiative to ensure dedicated power supply to industrial clusters across the country, with South-East as second in the series.
Okechukwu said that it was worthy of appreciation that President Tinubu had his desire to renew the status of South-East as one of the industrial powerhouses of the country.
He added that the President’s commitment to revamp Nigeria’s backbone critical infrastructure – electricity – by his laudable programme, Light Up Nigeria, could not have come at a better time when the South-East was in dire need of economic and infrastructural renewal.
Okechukwu noted that the Light Up Nigeria project would be the signpost of goodies ahead for the people of the South-East and Nigeria in general because affordable and constant electricity would make for a stable economy.
“Constant and affordable power supply is the fastest route to economic resorgimento, empowerment of Nigerians, generation of employment and lifting of millions out of poverty.
“As no meaningful development can take place without constant and affordable electricity transmission,”
he said.
Okechukwu also commended Tinubu for vindicating some members of APC in the South-East, who had maintained that he (Tinubu) would not abandon the South-East.
He said: “From the onset one admonished the PDP that the South-East needs infrastructural development more than lavish political appointments; now change has come from unexpected quarters.
“This is the kind of legacy President Buhari engraved with the 2nd Niger Bridge. Hence I am happy that President Tinubu has vindicated some of us that he will not abandon the South-East.
“It is kudos to President Tinubu to enlist South-East in his renewed roadmap.
“I am confident that the whole country will benefit immensely from any infrastructural development located in the South-East for Ndigbo are true patriots who habit and invest in all the nooks and crannies of our dear country more than any other ethnic nationality.”
Okechukwu appealed to Tinubu to erase the age long culture of impunity, stereotype and engrave at least one lasting legacy either by unbundling the Enugu Coal deposit for Coal Fired Power Plant.
“Or by investing huge in gas pipeline in the region and in addition upgrade of Eastern Corridor rail line to standard gauge like the Western Corridor,” he said.
The APC chieftain also congratulated Prof. Bart Nnaji for his resilience in the face of unintended obstacles; thanking God that his dream had finally come true as his baby, the 181mw Geometric Power Plant in Aba was officially inaugurated by Vice President Shettima.
