President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Sunday declared that, with the hitherto abandoned Ajaokuta Steel Complex now nearing completion, the project would have the capacity to employ 500,000 Nigerians once designated as a free trade zone.
The President further promised to fully harness the potentials of the complex once it is completed, as it would boost Nigeria’s foreign direct investment and provide avenue for the creation of the much-needed conducive business environment for all sectors to thrive.
At the flag-off of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship campaign in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, the Vice President Kashim Shettima, who represented President Tinubu, also noted that the Tinubu remains committed to completing the constructions of the River Niger, the Kabba-Lokoja and the Abuja-Lokoja roads.
The governorship poll in the state is slated for 11th November.
Shettima said that President Tinubu is a man of plenty ideas who is determined to reposition the nation in its rightful place, especially as it borders on restructuring and stimulating the Nigerian economy.
“Given Mr President’s commitment to the development of Kogi State and indeed the entirety of Nigeria, Kogi in particular being a confluence state, cannot afford to have a governor who is hostile to the center. We must be partners in progress and work hand in hand to develop this great nation”, the Vice President said.
He further spoke about plans by the Tinubu administration to make the Itakpe crop processing project a dream come true, just as he promised jobs and affordable education under the present government.
Reemphasising that the welfare of the citizenry would never be willfully compromised, Shettima called on Kogi State citizens to come out en masse on to vote for the APC governorship candidate, Ahmed Usman Ododo, in order to consolidate on the achievements of the APC government in the state.
He added that the natural endowments of the state would be harnessed for the development of the state and the nation at large, adding that President Tinubu had further given his nod for the rehabilitation of Obajana-Okene road in the state.
Earlier, the state governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello thanked President Tinubu for accepting to flag off the governorship campaign in his state, disclosing that his administration has achieved a lot, and it is time for consolidation in order to move the state forward.
“We have done a lot in the area of security, education and health, among others. We want to consolidate on that. I am, therefore, calling on the people of our dear state to vote for our candidate in order to move Kogi State forward”, he said.
APC National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje said that because the governor has provided good governance to the people of the state, it cannot afford to be left behind by giving power to another party different from the one at the centre.
Chairman of the state APC Campaign Council, Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State enjoined the people of Kogi State to clean up their voter cards and turn out in numbers to vote for the candidate of the APC in the 11th November governorship election.
Ododo pledged to carry the people of the state along if elected, saying he remained committed to the development agenda of Kogi State.
“We will build on the legacies of my mentor, Governor Yahaya Bello. We will give attention to security, education, agriculture and health. Our women will also be empowered”, he said.
Other dignitaries at the campaign rally included the Chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum, Kwara State Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq; Minister of Steel Development, Mr. Shuaibu Abubakar Audu; and members of the National Working Committee of the APC.
The Vice President’s engagements in the state had started with an audience with traditional rulers and other stakeholders of the state ahead of the governorship election.
At the audience with the stakeholders, Shettima also solicited support for the APC candidate in the forthcoming election.
On behalf of his colleagues, the President, Kogi State Traditional Council and the Attah of Igala, HRH Mathew Ipaluwa, pledged their support for President Tinubu.
The royal father commended the state governor for working hard in addressing security challenges in the state.
