If we hadn’t intervened in roads, rail, Nigerians would be trekking from city to city –Buhari

From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja 

President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, said if his administration had not invested in the construction of roads and rails projects in some parts of the country, Nigerians would have been trekking long distances to get to their destinations.

He specifically cited the ease in  traffic between Lagos and Ibadan as one of the major infrastructural interventions of his government.

“The people from South West can tell better because between Lagos and Ibadan by now, if we hadn’t done what we did, people would have been trekking because the road was not there, the rail was not there and there was so much insecurity.But we thank the international community. We thank China and Chinese investors, who came along to support the Lagos-Ibadan transport projects.”

Buhari stated this  when he met with a delegation from Kaduna State, led by the Emir of Zazzau, Alhaji Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli, and Kaduna State Deputy Governor, Hadiza Sabuwa Balaraba at State House, Abuja.

A statement by his Special Adviser  on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, quoted him as saying in the meeting: “My objective was very clear, despite the dwindling resources, I wanted to deal with infrastructure across the country. We should look at advancement in terms of Infrastructure. No country can advance without infrastructure. There used to be railways, especially people from Southern Kaduna will remember this. Which country can really advance without road, rail and power, that’s why I wanted to sort out infrastructure, knowing that Nigerians are competitive by nature, and they will face their businesses when there’s road, rail and power.”

Buhari assured that the construction and rehabilitation of infrastructure would be sustained, among them the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano express road handled by Julius Berger to ensure good, long-term quality.

The president commended the Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai, for the transformation of the state, with growing infrastructure and socio-economic projects, while noting the growing liberality, which welcomes all Nigerians.