…Ayu, Udom appeal for massive votes for PDP
By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja
Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has promised that if elected the next President of the country, his administrator will open up the Calabar Port with a view to serving the Eastern flank of the country and creating massive business and employment opportunities for the people of the region.
Atiku made the pledge while addressing the PDP presidential campaign rally in Calabar, the Cross River State capital on Monday.
The former Vice President also assured that his administration, if given the mandate, will address the issue of infrastructural development, road network linking Cross River with neighboring states and the proposed railway from Lagos through Calabar to Port Harcourt.
The PDP presidential flag bearer reasoned that the moment the Calabar port is functional, it will be an attraction to factories and businesses and it will be to the benefit of the people of the Cross River state and others.
The PDP presidential candidate, who was highly elated by the turn out of people at the rally, also promised that the issue of restructuring of the country, which he has been canvassing since, will be taken with all seriousness, if voted into office
Atiku said, “the people of Cross River have risen to various status in the society by their support for the PDP.
Don’t follow them to APC (All Progressives Congress), continue to be loyal to the PDP and the party will continue to be loyal to you and the entire South South.
“Before I joined politics, I was into maritime business, one of the ports in Cross River that we came to open was here. That was why when I was the Vice president and the issue of the development of Calabar Port came up, I gave my total support, so that the Calabar Deep Port can be constructed for the benefit of the People of the state, South South and Nigeria as a whole.
“I have factories in Adamawa, if the port in Cross River is functioning, I will not take my container to Lagos port, because it is shorter for me to take my containers from here to Yola.
“What I am trying to say is that when we open up the Calabar Port, the Eastern flank of Nigeria will be served by the port and that is very massive business and employment opportunities for the people of the region.
“One thing you must understand is that the moment the Calabar port is functional, it will be an attraction to factories and businesses and it will be to the benefit of Cross River state.
“Again, your agricultural potentials are going to be multiplied, so it is going to be a golden opportunity for the people of the state and I promise you, if you vote for the PDP for the President and the Governor, we will work together with your legislators to make sure that we implement the policies that have been grounded by the APC. Since APC came that project is dead.
“You must have heard those that have stolen the money for that project, don’t worry we will get there.
“Let me also assure you that your agricultural exploits will be to your benefit, there is the issue of infrastructural development, the road network linking you with neighboring states and the proposed railway from Lagos through Calabar to Port Harcourt. I promised you this would also be done.
“Another very inspiring policy of ours is the policy of restructuring of the country, by restructuring we mean, reducing the powers and resources of the Federal government and giving them to the states and local governments, so that you will hold your leaders responsible for your development and progress.
“This will make the Federal Government less powerful, the powers and resources will be deployed to the states for your benefit.
“This is a major policy of PDP and my policy, there are five important policies that I have identified for this country, unity of our country, security of our country, economy of our country, education of our young men and women.
“Another very good attraction for our young men and women is the allocation of 10 billion US dollars for small and medium scale businesses”, he said.
The Chairman of PDP presidential campaign council and Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr Udom Emmanuel, while addressing the rally, assured the people of the state that a PDP-led federal government, under President Atiku Abubakar, will comprehensively address the issue of infrastructure in terms of road network and others.
“I want to assure you that infrastructure in terms of road network under Atiku Abubakar will be very well developed”, he said.
While addressing the rally, also, the National Chairman of the PDP, Dr Iyorchia Ayu said, “You have voted for some of your great sons and daughters in the PDP, unfortunately, some of them have disappointed you. But wherever they are going, they will come back home because the people of Cross River state will not go with them.
“I want to beg you that on the 25th of this month, vote for one Nigerian, who will unify this country, who will wipe your tears, who will make sure that the economy of Nigeria comes back to be the first and best economy in the continent.
“When we left office in 2015, naira was exchanging at N180 to a dollar. How much is naira exchanging to a dollar? N800 to a dollar. When we left, we left a foreign debt of $9.6 billion. Within seven years, the APC has increased that debt to $97 billion dollars.
“In order words, each one of you standing here is a debtor and it is affecting the economy of this country because all the money we are earning, we spend on servicing debt. It is not investment on road, it is not investment on infrastructure, it is not investment to import what you need, it is not investment in education. All we are doing today packing our money and giving it to foreigners.
“Let me tell you that the solution is in your hands. When you vote right, you will discover that in a short period of six months, insecurity will be a thing of the past, because we’ll tackle it.
