The Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, has offered reasons for his visit to President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday.
The Governor offered the reasons in a chat with newsmen after the visit to the President on Monday at the Presidential Villa.
Unahi said he met with President Buhari to thank him for the “mega projects” his administration is implementing in the South East, adding that the people of the region are grateful to him.
He said: “One is to thank him very highly for a number of mega projects that he is doing in the South East.
“The Second Niger bridge is fast and fast becoming a reality.
“Each time we visit that bridge, it is always like a dream.
“So, we the people of South East are very grateful to Mr. President for this.
“We also thank him for the award of this Eastern corridor of the railway line.
“This is a project that is going to fast track the commercial activities of our people.
“I recall that when I was in school, I used to join train from my state, Ebonyi, and then get up to Maiduguri, where my brothers were staying, for my holidays.
“Mr. President is about restoring that hope.
“We are deeply very grateful.
“But I also reminded Mr. President that one of his cardinal objectives is to integrate into the South East or the state capitals, but in putting together the project through South East that the capital of Ebonyi State, which is Abakaliki, and capital of Anambra State, which is Awka, were omitted.
“And I reminded Mr. President that the South East governors had requested that I write, which I did, but not yet approved to the Honourable Minister of Transport, which Mr. President said he will find out why they were omitted in the first place.
“I am very, very hopeful that Mr. President is going to give approval to those two locations.
“And also the limestone granules to fast track the fertiliser presidential initiative, which has helped the country Nigeria so much in food sufficiency.
“Let me point out that without the effort of Mr. President, through this fertiliser initiative and other programmes in the agricultural sector, it would have been a very difficult time for this country.
“And so that project is supposed to produce a large set of granules to enable us to produce fertilisers to serve the South South, South East and part of North Central.
“Mr. President has already approved the funds and released to the Solid Mineral Development Fund.
“But part of the requirement is that there must be SPV integration or private sector initiative.
“We have applied to Mr. President for approval through the Chief of Staff.
“So, we had to remind Mr. President.
“Lastly, four years back, Mr. President was in Ebonyi State about November to commission a number of projects and lay foundation stone to others.
“I reminded Mr. President that we are expecting him four years later, which would be November, for him to come to Ebonyi State.
“The last time he spent one night, but this time we are asking him to spend three nights.
“We have over 20 different projects, the ones we consider good enough for Mr. President to commission.
“We have completed the Muhammadu Buhari light tunnel bridge complex, the first of its kind in Africa, for Mr. President to commission.
“We have gotten to the stage of completing the best medical centre, King David University of Medical Sciences, the best in Africa.
“We have completed the largest mall, the most beautiful mall you can see anywhere in West Africa.
“We have completed an additional six twin flyover bridges, well decorated and beautiful.
“We want Mr. President to commission it.
“We want Mr. President to commission the St. Margeret International market, the largest market in West Africa.
“I want Mr. President to commission it.
“We built the medical school for Ekwueme Federal University, completed and we want Mr. President to commission it.
“We have over 200km concrete roads in Ebonyi State, some of them are federal roads, some concrete roads.
“And these are the major ones.
“You know, we want Mr. President to commission them.
“We have over 1000km road completed, since my first tenure, and we want Mr. President to commission.
“Of course, the list can’t be exhaustive here.”