Ahead of the visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to the South East today, Tuesday, Presidency has declared that there is ‘no big deal’ about the visit, which is said to be at the instance of both Ebonyi and Anambra state governments.
The Special Adviser to the Presidency on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, in an exclusive chat with BusinessDay on Monday ahead of the visit, described is as “normal visit”
According to Adesina, “the people of Ebonyi and Anambra are the ones inviting Mr. President for the visit”
Adesina stated that the visit will allow the President commission some projects executed by the state, while the President is also expected to grace the grand finale of the All Progressive Congress governorship campaign of its candidate, Tony Nwoye in Anambra on Wednesday before returning back to Abuja”
BusinessDay however, gathered that while in Ebonyi, the President will on Tuesday, on the first leg of his trip, commission projects including, already completed by the state government, including three twin flyovers, built across the African transahara road, running from Enugu to Cameron passing through Ebonyi State.
Governor Dave Umahi had declared that the visit is at the instance of the state government which pleaded that the President Commission projects executed by him in the state.
This is the first major visit by the President outside Abuja since his return from his medical trip to London.
The entire South East region is already saturated with security operatives even as the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim Idris has announced massive the deployment of security forces to South East ahead of the Tuesday visit to the region by President Muhammadu Buhari and the forthcoming Anambra gubernatorial election.
A State released on Sunday by the Chief Superintendents of Police, CSP Moshood Jimoh, IGP Idris approved the deployment of 26,000 personnel, backed up with military equipment for effective surveillance and ensuring that Crimes is reduced during the period.
The security arrangements are in place to counter threats from members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB who had issued an order of “Vote and die” ahead of the Saturday’s election.
Part of the road project to be commissioned is the twin flyover bridge along the Akanu Ibiam junction aimed at decongesting traffic along that road, measuring about 700 metre length.
The State has completed two while the third one is 80% done, the President will commission the completed two bridges.
President Buhari will also lay the foundation stone of the Ebonyi shopping mall modeled after the famous Dubai Mall.
The President will also lay the foundation stone of the tunnel that dovetails into a flyover that is parallel to the existing flyover along the Akanu Ibiam junction,
Another project that will be of importance to the President and the people of Ebonyi is the 14.5km federal road which the state got the consent of the President to build and toll under the PPP arrangement.
The State has also completed the 18.5km road leading to the Federal University, Abakaliki, built with concrete and overlaid with Asphalt,which is fully ready for commissioning by the President.
The State government has also completed the 15.5km of Nigercem road that passes through the first cement factory in the country which is in Ebonyi State, connecting the State to Benue, which is also ready for commissioning by the President.
Others include the 23.5km state road, built with concrete, as well as the 500km of internal roads which was completed in Ebonyi under the current administration, for Mr President to commission.
The remodeled, State owned stadium, considered to have the best VIP stands in the country and equipped with full air conditioning system, with fully covered stands is also ready for the President commission in Abakaliki.
The President is also expected to Commission the State mushrooms factory Agriculture project, as well as flag off the new agricultural policy of one man one hectare programme in Ebonyi.
The President will proceed to Anambra on Wednesday, to grace the grand finale of the APC gubernatorial campaigns before returning to Abuja late Wednesday evening
Tony Ailemen, Abuja
