President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday, March 24, 2015 promised the people of the South Eastern region of the country that he would make sure an additional state is created.
While describing the South East as his political taproot, he promised not to neglect the people of the region if he wins the presidential polls of Saturday, March 28, 2015, adding that the infrastructural decay in the region will be attended to.
President Jonathan made the pledge in two separate session with the Aba business community in Abia State and in an interactive parley with stakeholders in Owerri, Imo State.
In Owerri, President Jonathan pledged to implement the recommendation of the National Conference that an additional state be created in the region.
He said: “The proper thing to do is to ensure that the South East geo-political zone with only five states gets additional one as recommended by the National Conference for equality before any other zone agitating for additional state is considered.
“The South East is the support base of the PDP and I am here again to solicit for your support and blessings in the Saturday election. It is a rare privilege for me because the South East has not supported anybody the way they have supported me since 2011.”
In Aba, President Jonathan pledged to swiftly address the issue between Geometric Power station owned by Prof. Barth Nnaji and some power distribution companies so as to enable power distribution companies commence work so as to boost industrial growth in Aba, Abia’s commercial town, adding that the infrastructural decay in the area must be reversed.
In his words: “The South East, generally, I owe you so much. You have taken me as one of you. Everybody knows that politically, I am stronger in the South East. The South East is the tap-root of my political structure, so I can’t ignore the zone. Anything humanly possible I can do for the zone, I will do it.”
“We are worried by the falling of the Naira, we are aware that it is affecting our business men and women. We will work with you; after the elections we will sit down and discuss the next four years.
“We will see how we can quickly sort out the Geometric problem to help Aba which has the greatest small scale enterprises in the country. Aba as a city needs a lot of Federal Government intervention beyond the issues of infrastructure you mentioned. Aba is a very key city, it is an industrial hub; we must work together to improve it.”
