The Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, has assured that the ongoing reconstruction of the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri Eastern rail line would be completed up to Enugu before the end of this year.
Amaechi, who is a presidential aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, (APC), said this at a meeting with party delegates from South-Eastern States.
The minister, who solicited the support of the delegates at the forthcoming APC presidential election primaries, said that he had included Owerri, which was not part of the old line to the plan.
The consultation meeting was hosted by Imo State Gov., Sen. Hope Uzodinma at the APC Secretariat in Owerri, the Imo state capital.
The meeting was attended by party chairmen, state and local government executives and other delegates from the five Southeast states of Enugu, Anambra, Imo, Abia and Ebonyi.
Amaechi also promised that, if given the opportunity, his experience in dealing with insecurity as Governor of Rivers state, would count in tackling same in the country.
“If you ask ‘why will they support us?’ I’m a young man, a bridge between the young and the old, a son of the soil, and I am approachable.
“I may be one of the youngest, but I’m the most experienced. As Governor of Rivers State, what you’re currently facing here now, I faced in Port Harcourt, and I dealt with it and overcame it.
”Be rest assured that if we are given this power, we wouldl overcome this crisis by God’s grace,” he said.
The minister stressed that he was not a sectional candidate, but a Nigerian candidate.
He said: “Give me this opportunity and you will see the difference. Trust me, once you give me this opportunity, I will be sincere with you and to everybody.
”We will do our best to make sure that the Igbos are protected, the Yorubas will be protected, the Hausa/Fulani would be protected, everybody will be protected.”
He thanked Gov. Uzodinma for his support and for bringing the South-East delegates together.
On his part, Gov Uzodinma assured Amaechi that the South-East would stand united to ensure that the APC won the 2023 presidential election.
He said, “You will come again by the grace of God, either as an aspirant or as a candidate.
”One strong message I want to give, is that there is a new spirit in the South East for our great party.
“We have done all the necessary political engineerings. APC in South-East is united. APC South-East is one.
“We have two Governors of APC in the South East. You must have also heard that our second Governor (David Umahi of Ebonyi State) has also declared interest to be president.
”But, this is a contest between a brother and a brother, and when we enter the bedroom we will resolve it.
“We are determined to win, the message we are giving to Nigerians, both members of our party and non members, is that the most important thing for our dear party APC is winnability.
”We want to win. Why? Because we are already doing well. So, we cannot afford not to win. Today, APC South East will continue to show Nigerians that we are united.
”The Governor of Ebonyi would have been here, but because he’s expecting the President in a few days time for a State visit, he is not able to come. However, all the delegates from Ebonyi are here.
”We don’t have any problem with our brother (Amaechi) who is contesting election, we believe in the unity and the leadership of our party, and God knows that all the indications around, are pointing that we will win.
“Our dear President, Muhammadu Buhari, who is the leader of the party, will not disappoint Ndigbo.
”He will not disappoint South East, he will not disappoint South South, he will not disappoint South West if there are Ndigbo there.
“So, we are confident that we are on the right track,” he said