President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday said his administration is determined to fulfil its many promises made to Nigerians since 2015.
Addressing Nigerians on the New Year day via a national broadcast, he assured that the federal government is intensifying efforts "to address our country’s huge infrastructural deficit."
Below are the nine promises President Buhari made to Nigerians today in his New Year speech:
1. He promised to get to the root of recurring fuel crisis in the country and ensure that "whichever groups are behind this manipulated hardship will be prevented from doing so again."
2. On rail projects, he promised to:
a. Complete Lagos-Ibadan rail line by the end of 2019.
b. Construct the Kano – Kaduna segment of Lagos-Kano Standard Gauge Railways by the end of 2019.
c. Complete Lagos-Kano standard gauge railway across the main North-South trading route by the end of 2021.
d. Boost Abuja – Kaduna rail route with additional rolling stock next Thursday.
e. Conclude negotiations in the first part of this year for the construction of Port Harcourt to Maiduguri rail line covering Aba, Owerri, Umuahia, Enugu, Awka, Abakaliki, Makurdi, Lafia, Jos, Bauchi, Gombe, Yola and Damaturu.
f. Conclude negotiations for the construction of other railway lines, firstly from Kano to Maradi in Niger Republic passing through Kazaure, Daura, Katsina, Jibia to Maradi; and secondly, Lagos to Calabar “Coastal Rail” through Ore, Benin, Agbor, Asaba, Onitsha, Sapele, Ughelli, Warri, Yenagoa, Otuoke, Port Harcourt, Aba, Uyo and Calabar.
g. Test run and start full operations of the Abuja Capital Light Rail, which progress has reached 98% completion.
3. He promised a 12-week rapid intervention in road repairs to cover all the 6 geo-political zones through the newly reconstituted management of the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA). "Government is undertaking repairs and maintenance of 44 roads within the six geo-political zones," He assured.
4. He vowed to construct/rehabilitate 25 major highways with funding from the N100billion SUKUK facility, especially:
a. Oyo – Ogbomosho,
b. Ofusu – Ore – Ajebandele – Shagamu,
c. Yenagoa Road Junction – Kolo Otuoke – Bayelsa Palm,
d. Enugu – Port Harcourt Dual Carriage Way,
e. Onitsha – Enugu Expressway,
f. Kaduna Eastern Bypass,
g. Dualization of Kano – Maiduguri Road,
h. Dualization of Abuja – Lokoja – Benin Road,
i. Dualization of Suleja – Minna Road,
j. Abuja – Kaduna – Zaria – Kano road.
5. He promised to increase power supply by:
a. adding another 240MW to Afam Power Station this year through a private investment partnership.
b. making the Katsina 10MW Wind Power Project fully operational this year.
c. completing the Zungeru 700MW Hydroelectric Power Project in 2019.
d. ensuring that transmission and other requirements to operate the 30MW Gurara Phase 1 Hydroelectric Plant, the 40MW Kashimbilla Hydroelectric Plant and the 215 MW Kaduna Gas/LPG/Diesel Power Plant are provided and also completed this year.
e. constructing the 3,050MW Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project through a joint venture agreement with a Chinese Company and with a financing commitment from the government of China. Completion is targeted for 2023.
6. He promised to stop rice importation this year.
7. He avowed his government’s determination “to protect all Nigerians in line with our election pledge and promises.”
8. He promised laws that will ensure “tighter police methods and swift and severe punishment for those proved to be engaged in kidnapping are on the way.”
9. Regarding Niger Delta, he promised that his government will help in identifying and addressing genuine grievances of the region by engaging responsible leadership of the communities.