Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Saturday assured President Muhammadu Buhari that residents in Lagos would troop out en masse on February 16 and deliver the State to him and other National Assembly candidates of the All Progressive Congress (APC).
PoliticsNGR
learned that Governor Ambode, who spoke at the APC Presidential Mega
Rally, held at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Surulere, Lagos, said the
President in the last three and half years fully supported the
infrastructural growth in the State and would do more if given another
mandate of four years.
According to him, the February 16 election
was not about tribe or religion, but strictly about job creation,
infrastructural development and economic growth, saying that President
Buhari has shown total commitment to making life comfortable for
residents.
“In and outside of the stadium, you can see the crowd
that has turned out here and we are very grateful that Lagos has been
signed, sealed and delivered to APC already. The message is very clear.
“We
appreciate Mr. President for his support to our State in the last three
and half years. The achievements that we have recorded in Lagos were
possible because of his support. This election is not about tribe or
religion, it’s about infrastructure, jobs and the economy and the right
path to go is to go to the APC.
“if you see what we are going in
Lagos already, you will see that the Airport road is not for the Yorubas
or the Igbos or the Hausas, its about making life comfortable for
Nigerians and that is why Mr. President has continually supported all
our projects by even refunding some of the funds we used for capital
projects so that we can complete more projects,” Governor Ambode said.
He
said it was important for Nigerians to entrust President Buhari with
another four years in office to continue in the trajectory of growth,
warning that the return of the opposition party would do nothing but
alter the progress made by the Federal Government so far.
“If you
remember, the first two years of this administration we were in
recession caused by the PDP, but in the last two years, we have
stabilized, we have created the groundwork for growth and that is where
APC is different from the PDP. They will tell you that they want to make
Nigeria work again, but ask them who destroyed Nigeria in the first
place?
“Therefore, this election is about moving the economy
forward and for this to be possible, we need to continue on the
foundation that we have already made in the last four years. APC remains
one party, we remain one nation and one family,” the Governor said.
Buhari,
who made his entrance into the venue of the rally at about 2:45pm to a
tumultuous welcome by the teeming crowd and party faithful, assured that
Lagos as commercial capital of Nigeria would continue to receive
greater attention in terms of infrastructural renewal and all round
economic growth.
Speaking earlier at a session with members of
the Organised Private Sector held at Lagos House, Marina, President
Buhari said it was gratifying to note that the economic policies of his
administration were already making the desired impact as evidenced by
steady growth in the economy in the last three years.
He said the
APC government had kept the promise to boost the economy through
blocking leakages in government finances, increasing capital expenditure
and inflows, and implementing the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan
(ERGP), among others.
“I firmly believe that our economic
policies are beginning to make the desired impact. Economic growth has
resumed and is continuing to improve. Growth was higher in 2017 than in
2016, data even from external sources shows that it was also higher in
2018 than in 2017. I am confident that as we stay the course, it will be
better still at the end of 2019.
“Inflation is coming down
steadily, there is stability in the exchange rate and foreign exchange
is readily available for genuine business. Foreign reserves are adequate
and growing; capital inflows have increased and the trade balance is
positive.
“We are paying off debts that were not even publicly
acknowledged before now, including those owed to States, the electricity
sector, oil marketers, exporters, backlog of salaries of workers and
pensioners, amongst others,’’ he said.
Among the organizations
which made presentations to the President at the session were
Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Lagos Chamber of Commerce
and Industry (LCCI), and Nigerian Association of Small and Medium
Enterprises (NASME).
Aside Vice President, Professor Yemi
Osinbajo, Governors of Oyo (Abiola Ajimobi), Kebbi (Atiku Bagudu), Kano
(Abdullahi Ganduje), Osun (Gboyega Oyetola), Ekiti (Kayode Fayemi) and
Ministers, the session was also attended by many captains of industry
including Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Femi Otedola, Oba Otudeko, Jim Ovia,
Bismarck Rewane, Chief (Mrs) Nike Akande, among others.
The rally
was well attended by the who’s who in the APC including the Governors
of Ogun, Osun, Oyo, Ekiti, Ondo, Edo, Kano, Kebbi, National Leader of
the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu; Mr. Babatunde Fashola, other serving
and past Ministers, party chieftains, among many others.
Source:- Politicsngr
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