Tinubu Pledges Completion Of Eastern Rail Line, Development Of Anambra Basin

President Bola Tinubu on Saturday assured South-East leaders of his administration’s commitment to completing the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri Eastern Rail Line and supporting the development of the Anambra Basin, a critical energy reserve for Nigeria.

Speaking during an interactive session with leaders from the region during his official visit to Enugu, Tinubu described the rail line project as “a work in progress.”

According to a statement by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President said, “I inherited some of these critical problems and am committed to solving them.”

Tinubu highlighted the potential of the Anambra Basin, noting that it holds up to one billion barrels of oil and 30 billion cubic feet of gas.

He reiterated the Federal Government’s resolve to harness the basin’s potential as an alternative energy reserve for Nigeria.

“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,” Tinubu said.

Commendation For Governor Mbah

The President commended Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State for his strides in economic and infrastructural development. Tinubu described Mbah as a leader who exemplifies effective use of revenue to spur development.

“This is a profound demonstration of what we can do together. It reassures me that more revenue going to the sub-nationals and local governments is not a waste. It is for development,” Tinubu said.

Governor Mbah expressed gratitude for Tinubu’s federalist approach, citing initiatives like the establishment of the South-East Development Commission and deregulation of the electricity sector as impactful policies.

“Your excellency, your credentials as a true federalist stand out brightly, and the legacies thereof will long earn you resounding accolades,” Mbah said.

He added that Enugu was the first state to which the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission ceded regulatory oversight of its local electricity market.

Mbah further outlined his administration’s ambitious target to grow Enugu’s economy from $4.4 billion to $30 billion within four years, aiming to position the state among the top three in Nigeria with the highest GDP.

During his visit, Tinubu inaugurated key infrastructure projects, including:

The Smart Green School;

The New Haven/Bisalla Road;

The International Conference Centre;

The Command and Control Centre;

150 patrol vehicles equipped with surveillance cameras.