Former Governor of Jigawa State, Dr Sule Lamido, has assured the government and people of Cross River State that the Federal Government will assist with the funding of the 275km superhighway and Bakassi Deep Seaport if elected as president of Nigeria next year.
Lamido stated this during a courtesy call on Governor Ben Ayade in Government House, Calabar as part of his consultation visit to the state.
He said only a People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president can appreciate the laudable ideas of the governor on industrialization and infrastructural development.
He said such an ambitious projects cannot be supported by the All Progressives Congress(APC)-led Federal Government.
Lamido, a one-time Minister for Foreign Affairs urged the people to support his ambition.
“Your Excellency, I hope you will see me as worthy of your trust to enable you achieve the realization of your big vision of your 275 kilometer superhighway from Calabar to Northern Nigeria and Bakassi Deep seaport to open up the Northern Economy.
“It’s only a PDP government that can allow you to realize this your laudable vision and I can assure you that under me as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by the grace of God and your support, Federal Government will accelerate funding of the projects,” he assured.
While describing the governor as a very pragmatic leader, who is uniquely unique, he further assured that he will be sharing sharing ideas with the governor on how to move Nigeria forward should he win the presidency.
“I’m here because of these concerns and together we will share our common future and restore our common glory by clearing APC from government by 2019,” he concluded.
Responding, Governor Ben Ayde who described Cross River State as a state that has been deliberately dehumanized by the Nigerian state with her territory ceded and oil wells taken without any concern for the citizenry.
He said Cross River State is being governed by intellect due to it’s low revenue status among the states in Nigeria.
He said the state will not hesitate to support any government that has the interest of her people at heart.
“We in Cross River State have been dehumanized and have lost our self esteem and value occasioned by the abuse of the state, seizing our lands, seizing our oil wells, decoupling us completely from having access to NDDC projects.
“Cross River State is in a state of want. We are only driven by intellect, our revenue is the lowest in the country after Osun State. We receive an allocation that is less than the gross salary of the state.
“The state is only driven by the young men and women you have seen in this room, so as you come before us seeking our support for you to be president of Nigeria and having listened to you, you understand the full dialectics of the Nigerian situation. If you become president, you have promised to be there for us.”
