Atiku in Kogi, promises Inland Port, completion of Ajaokuta Steel, jobs

*Atiku will pilot Nigeria’s affairs well, says Tambuwal

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has assured that the issue of Inland Port for Kogi State and the Ajaokuta Steel Company would be a matter of priority to his administration if elected the nation’s next President in the forthcoming general election.

Atiku gave the assurance while addressing the PDP supporters and the people of Kogi State during the PDP presidential campaign rally held in Lokoja, the state capital on Saturday.

The former Vice President of Nigeria between 1999 and 2007 pointed out that the issue of Inland Port was not only a matter for the state, but a matter that affects the entire Northern Nigeria and as such must be addressed without any further delay.

Atiku similarly promised that the nightmare surrounding Ajaokuta Steel Company will be a thing of the past if voted into office as the next President of the nation
The PDP presidential flag bearer said, “I want to confirm here that if you give us your support and elect a PDP government, the nightmare of Ajaokuta will be a thing of the past.
“I assure you this and it is a promise I have made on behalf of PDP.

“I also want to promise you that the issue of your inland port is not only a Kogi issue, but issue of Northern Nigeria, because through the development of the port in Kogi, we also will have access to the maritime transportation in this country.

“So, it is not a Kogi State matter, it is a matter for the entire North of the country. I promise you we will implement that program”, he said.

Continuing, Atiku said, “Let me also assure you that if you vote for PDP, there will be no more salary arrears in Kogi State, because we will support Kogi state to make sure nobody is owned salaries.
“From what I have seen from Obajana up to Lokoja, it is thousands of young men and women, we will give you jobs, if we don’t give you jobs, we will give you business to do.

“I promise to set aside ten billion US dollars to empower our young men and women so that they can live comfortable live.

“Also, the issue of University closure, where our children will be out of school for seven, eight months will be a thing of the past, let me appeal to you, if you want all these issues to be resolved, PDP is the answer.

“If you look at Kogi state itself, since PDP stop governing Kogi State, no development has taken place in this state, everything in Kogi was built by PDP”, he said.

Speaking at the rally, the Chairman of the PDP presidential campaign council and Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr Udom Emmanuel described Kogi State as one of the richest states in this country in terms of solid minerals.

According to Governor Emmanuel, “Kogi state is one of the richest states in this country in terms of solid minerals. The only problem is that we need a business man like Atiku that we give you policies that will encourage people all over the world to come and exploit, extract and bring wealth to Kogi.
“The only person that will do that for you is Atiku Abubakar.

“I am sure many of you are not happy with the federal road network in the state because this is the center of Nigeria but with Atiku, he will link Kogi state with other parts of Nigeria. “Because of the central nature of Kogi state, he has promised that he will concentrate on major road networks and if we have infrastructure, it will be easy to develop Kogi more than this”, he explained.

Also, the Director General of of the PDP presidential campaign management committee and Governor of Sokoto State, Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal described Kogi State as being unique in many sense.

In the words of Tambuwal, “Kogi is unique in many sense. Kogi is the gate way to the South West from Northern Nigeria. Kogi is also the gateway to the South East and South South. Kogi is also the confluence of both river Niger and river Benue.

“It is in Kogi that we have the biggest and largest of the steel company in Nigeria, the Ajaokuta Steel Company. It is in Kogi that we also have the Obajana, Dangote’s main plant.

“Kogi is unique in its mineral deposits. You have all it takes, you have the minerals, you have the people, you have the land, you have the water. What we lack is leadership and that is what we lack in Nigeria today.

“Atiku Abubakar, of all the leading Presidential candidates, is the most preferred and the most prepared and for you the people of Kogi, he is the most business friendly.

“He will come and complete not only the Ajaokuta in its true sense but ensure that many factories and industries come up in Kogi by providing an enabling environment for businesses to thrive, for jobs to be created, for employment to be created and for the economy of Kogi state to be rejuvenated.

“It is only Atiku that can pilot the affairs of Nigeria, come May 2023, for all of theses to be achieved in Kogi, for security to be reestablished in Kogi, and for Nigeria to be repositioned for restructuring, for full recovery in every sense of it”, he said.