Tinubu promises to complete Eastern Rail Line before the end of his tenure in 2027

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has promised that his administration will complete the Nigerian Eastern Rail Line connecting Port Harcourt with Maiduguri before the end of his tenure in 2027 as part of his transport policy objectives.

Under his Renewed Hope Agenda, President Tinubu has continued the revamping of the Nigerian railway network instituted by previous administrations. This has seen the upgrading of single track lines from the colonial era into standard double ones and the construction of new routes like Abuja to Kaduna.

Yesterday, while visiting Enugu, President Tinubu met with leaders from across the southeast geo-political zone, whom he promised that he would deliver on rail. He also pledged that his administration would support the development of the Anambra Basin, which is estimated to hold up to 1bn barrels of oil and 30bn cubic feet of gas, as a significant energy reserve.

President Tinubu said:  “On the support of the gas infrastructure, sure, gas is an alternative to petrol. There is no wasting of time than to invest more in it. We will do it together and I am lucky I have good governors.”

He then praised Governor Peter Mbah for his development model and philosophy after inaugurating several projects executed by the state government. President Tinubu then pledged that the federal government would continue to support Enugu and other states in their development efforts.

Among the projects inaugurated by the president in Enugu State were the GTC Smart Green School, New Haven/Bisalla Road, the International Conference Centre, the Command-and-Control Centre and 150 patrol vehicles equipped with surveillance cameras. President Tinubu also performed the virtual commissioning of other notable projects from the Enugu State Government House.

At the inauguration of the Command-and-Control Centre, the president said investment in security would bring rapid development. He added: “This is a profound demonstration of what we can do together. It reassures me that more revenue going to the sub-nationals and local government is not a waste, it is for development.

“We have committed leaders like Peter Mbah taking Enugu on the path of 21st-century development, taking Enugu to greater heights, and building our tomorrow today.  I don’t care which party you come from, you are my friend. Alex Otti of Abia State is also doing very well. It is not about the differences in languages and place of birth.

“No one of us has control of the mother tongue. God created us and you can find yourself in Enugu, Onitsha or Lagos. We are all members of one huge family called Nigeria but we live in different rooms in the same house, so we must build this house to satisfy our immediate and future needs.”

Governor Mbah commended the Tinubu administration for establishing the South East Development Commission and liberalising the electricity sector through the Electricity Act. He noted that Enugu State was the first sub-national to which the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission ceded regulatory oversight of the local electricity market.