Hon. Chief Modestus Umenzekwe, a Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and member of Board, Federal Housing Authority (FHA) in this analysis concludes that the new APC Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, is a right choice for the furtherance of the party human capital, infrastructure growth agenda.
The much expected All Progressives Congress (APC) Convention has come and gone with huge success to the amazement, consternation and speechlessness of traducers and disparagers; the outcome which saw the emergence of the naturally gifted Senator Abdullahi Adamu, the former governor of Nasarawa State, as the new chairman of the APC, has continued to elicit responses, criticisms, way forward, suggestions, among others.
Our party having Senator Adamu as the new helmsman of APC, without much rancor, is an indication that the party has displayed significant sense of unity, cohesion, dynamism and readiness to retain the leadership of this country in 2023. The APC as a party, as presently constituted, without doubt remains the only party with capacity, with its national spread, having put its house in order, that can present visibly capable and evidently tested people for any position in this country from top to bottom.
Indeed the man, Adamu is ready for the furtherance of the APC human capital, infrastructure growth agenda, which the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is pursuing with unapologetic seriousness, consistency, doggedness and vision and he has achieved huge success with his team of ministers who have consistency followed his vision for the country with passion and every sense of purpose.
From Abdullahi Adamu’s political and leadership trajectory I am confident that he will unite the party the more and calm all the frayed nerves. He will also lead APC to presidential victory in 2023 like his predecessors. As usual he is expected to be accommodating and humane but very decisive devoid of tribal sentiments. I therefore call on all party members across the country to give him maximum support and cooperation. Let us kindly drop all grievances and work as a team to achieve victory otherwise APC will be a laughing stock of the opposition parties.
Adamu has all it takes to take the party to its promise land, his credential, pedigree and achievements are not just intimidating, they are true of a man who has paid his dues and continues to pay his dues for the good of nation and humanity. With his age, I don’t think Adamu will genuflect before anybody, he has no reason to fear anybody, of course he has achieved all there is to achieve in his time, he is now obviously well positioned to find credible and attainable solutions to party and nation problems. His credentials speak volume. He was Project Manager for construction of Durbar Hotel and Murtala Mohammed Square, Kaduna; he was appointed the Executive Secretary of the Benue/Plateau Construction Company by the then Benue/Plateau State government; he was Chairman of the Benue Cement Company, Gboko.
Adamu was called to the Bar as a solicitor and Advocate of Supreme Court of Nigeria in December 1993. Adamu entered politics in 1977, and was elected to the Constituent Assembly, which drafted the constitution for Nigeria’s short-lived Second Republic (1979–1983). He was a pioneer member of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN), the first Secretary-General of the NPN in Plateau State from December 1978, and chairman of the NPN in the Plateau from 1982 to 1983. In 1994, he was appointed to the National Constitutional Conference by General Sani Abacha‘s administration. In March 1995, Adamu was appointed a minister of state of the Works and Housing ministry, holding this position until November 1997.
He was a two time governor of Nasarawa State from 1999 till 2007. Secretary, Board of Trustees (BOT) of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). In the 2011, he was elected to the Senate to represent Nasarawa West District. He was again reelected in 2015 under the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC). At the formation of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum in 1999, his colleagues unanimously elected him as the pioneer Chairman and served from 1999 to 2004. In March 26, 2022, Abdullahi Adamu was appointed national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) party, the ruling and majority party in Nigeria. Adamu is indeed a true leader.
Abdullahi Adamu during his tenure as governor promised to make Nasarawa famous with the State’s solid mineral natural resources and tourist allures, such as the Farin Ruwa Waterfalls and the flowing Eggon hills. Again he supported construction of the Farin Ruwa Hydro-Electric plant, visiting South Korea in 2004 and later awarding the engineering contract to the South Korean firm, Yooshing Engineering. In September 2005, he launched the School Feeding Programme in Nasarawa State, which aims to provide a fortified nutritional supplement to primary school children.
Due to his enormous and numerous achievements, in 1980, he was honoured with the prestigious title of Sarkin Yakin Keffi by His Royal Highness, the Emir of Keffi, Alhaji Chindo Yamusa II. He has also been honoured with the keys to the cities of Hamburg, Germany; Harlem, New York, Soweto, South Africa and the plaque of Los Angeles, USA.
Now the onus is on him, Adamu, to ensure that the big shoe which the present government will soon leave for incoming President of APC, by the grace of God, to ensure the party continues its good works to the nation. In Niger Delta this current administration is ensuring that everything doable is being done to bring rapid infrastructural development in that region. Massive Road Constructions are currently going on. With the former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Obong Godswill Akpabio, as minister of the Niger Delta, the oil rich region is having it good.
Under the Rotimi Amaechi led Transport Sector, Nigeria has never had it so good in infrastructural development, much more has happened in the transportation sector, Nigerians have never had it so good with the Lagos/Ibadan/Kano rail constructions. The Buhari led government gave a marching order that the 36 states of Nigeria must be connected by rail, and that assignment is a fait accompli with Amaechi as Minister of Transport.
On roads, of course with the SUKUK Bond, amounting to N162, 557,000,000, aimed at facilitating the execution of major road projects across the country, it becomes easy for the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola to do what he knows how to do best. Today, 44 Federal Roads spread across the six geo-political zones are being financed under this SUKUK road project: North Central having eight, North East Eight, North West Seven, South West Six, South East Five and South-South having Ten roads each, with the breakdown of the financial implication as follows: North Central N26.5b, North East N30.5bn, North West N26.5bn, Southeast N26bn, South-South N26bn, and South West N27.05bn
These laudable projects which deserve commendation and acknowledgement include the reconstruction of the Runway of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, following President Buhari’s approval of a 10 billion Naira special intervention fund in 2019; there is the 200 billion Naira Second Niger Bridge, comprising the Main Bridge across the River Niger, and 10km of a six-lane Expressway, in Onitsha and Asaba, scheduled for October, 2022 completion date.
The Ground-breaking done in 2021 for reconstruction of Port Harcourt-Maiduguri Rail Line, linking the Southeastern States to a planned new Sea Port in Bonny, and to Northern Nigeria.
Sections 1 to 4 of the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway, Construction of Ihiala-Orlu Road in Isseke Town-Amafuo-Ulli with Spur (Ihiala-Orlu-Umuduru Section) in Anambra State, Rehabilitation of Oba-Nnewi-Okigwe Road Route Section II: Anambra/Imo States Border-Ibinta-Okigwe Road; Construction of Oseakwa Bridge in Anambra State; Rehabilitation of Old Enugu – Port-Harcourt Road (Agbogugu-Abia Border Spur to Mmaku); Rehabilitation of Nsukka-Obollo-Ikem-Ehamufu-Nkalagu Road in Enugu State; Rehabilitation of Owerri-Umuahia Road Sections I, II & III Imo/Abia States; Rehabilitation of Bende – Arochukwu – Ohafia Road Section I in Abia State; Rehabilitation of Abakaliki-Afikpo Road Sections I and II in Ebonyi State, among others.
There is the completion and commissioning in 2018 of the Zik Mausoleum in Awka, Anambra State, 22 years after construction started.
Of course Calabar, Rivers, and Onne Ports have witnessed significant infrastructure upgrades and fiscal incentives to promote their attractiveness. An LPG tanker berthed in the Eastern Ports (Rivers Port) for the first time ever in October 2019. That year Onne Port also received its first container ship in twelve years, while Calabar Port received its first container vessels in eleven years. The Concession of Onitsha Inland River Port is now in its final stages.
In Housing, following last year’s National Economic Council (NEC) approval of the construction of 300,000 mass housing units in all the states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), it is a good omen for realization of the nation’s housing need. The scheme is part of the Nigeria Economic Sustainability Plan by the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo-led Economic Sustainability Committee, estimated to cost N317 billion and create 1.8 million jobs as well as provide at least 1.5 million homes for Nigerian families.
The project, involves building 10,840 units of low, medium and high income units across the six geopolitical zones, backed by mortgage and another 12,008 houses under the public building and housing development Programme.
The construction of the 17-storey headquarters of the federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) in Abuja has reached its peak. The N39.2bn project is certainly going to be one of the landmark buildings that will shape and define the skylines of the city of Abuja after its completion.
The 764-Units Federal Housing Authority (FHA) Residential Layouts (the Abuja Mass Housing Scheme) in Zuba, Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, is another classic example of what we are witnessing under this administration.
The Honourable Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) has done well in the housing sector. The Federal Government Mass Housing Pilot Project Zuba-Abuja, located along Zuba-Giri Kaduna Express Way, is highly accessible and connected to the Kaduna-Abuja Express road by a well tarred rood of less than two minutes-drive. The estate consists of 764 housing units seated on 18Ha’s land size consisting of 1 bedroom flats; 2-bedroom flats; 3-bedroom flats; and 3-bedroom terrace duplexes.
Its proximity to city center is about 30 minutes-drive along the 10-lane Kubwa expressway with good internal Asphalt paved road and drainages, dedicated transformers, elaborate packing spaces, fenced and gated community, beautiful and serene environment, dedicated independent water supply, among others.
With the huge achievements of this government, it is obvious that Nigerians, APC and opposition parties alike, are watching to know how the former governor will pilot the affairs of the party for the entire good of not just the party, but Nigeria as a whole.
