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Asagba Of Asaba Endorses Jonathan For Second Term, Requests For Infrastructure

A monarch in Asaba, the Delta State capital in south-south Nigeria on Friday reaffirmed his endorsement for the candidacy of President Goodluck Jonathan for a … Continue reading Asagba Of Asaba Endorses Jonathan For Second Term, Requests For Infrastructure


Asagba_of_Asaba_and_President_Goodluck_JonathanA monarch in Asaba, the Delta State capital in south-south Nigeria on Friday reaffirmed his endorsement for the candidacy of President Goodluck Jonathan for a second term, requesting for several developmental projects in the State.

The Asagba of Asaba, Professor Chike Edozien, gave the endorsement at his palace in Asaba, when President Jonathan paid him a courtesy visit.

According to a statement by the spokesman for the President, Dr. Reuben Abati, Professor Edozien said that the endorsement was not only for the president to continue with his good works but to enable him to implement the recommendations of the just concluded National Conference to move the country forward.
“We are particularly delighted that you had the courage to set up the National Conference to look into the problems that were setting this country backwards.

“We are convinced that if the recommendations of the conference are implemented they will place Nigeria in its proper place.

“We are giving you our full support to complete your work.

“We do so, not only because of the giant strides that you have made in transforming the economy, defence and education, but we believe that you are in the best position to implement the resolutions of the National Conference,’’ he said.

Issues In Our Minds

The 1961 Professor of Medicine said that on March 28, his stool “will mobilise its children and people to support you not only by words but by deed to make sure that you return to Aso Rock’’. According to the Asagba, the traditional institution in his district had earlier taken a resolution to back the president”.

“We affirm that support to return you on May 29 as the President of Nigeria.

“It is our hope that in the next four years, some of the issues in our minds will be fully accomplished.”

The Monarch used the reception to urge the President to dualise the road from Asaba through Agbor and Kogi to Abuja, raise the Asaba Airport to an international hub to improve commerce and reduce travel time for the people.

He also urged the president to compensate families of victims of the 1967 civil war massacred by the Federal troops they came to receive in Asaba as well as grant Asaba a federal University as a major contributor and pioneer business hub in Nigeria through the hosting of the Royal Niger Company.

He said that the University request was made to former Presidents Ibrahim Babangida, Abdulsalami Abubakar and Olusegun Obasanjo, but none of them implemented it.

“Since that request, your administration has created more than 12 Federal universities, why are we forgotten?’”

Keep Faith With Promises

The President had earlier promised that his administration would continue to do its best to bring peace, secure Nigeria country and bring development.

“As your own son, I will keep faith with the promises that I made to you in public and in private to bring development to the country and Delta state will not be left out,” President Jonathan said.

He told the monarch that his administration had created a maritime University in Delta for manpower development, raised the police Academy in Kaduna to a degree awarding institution in addition to creating 12 other universities in the states that had none.

He added that his administration eradicated Guinea Worm and Polio with the same vigour it drove out the Ebola Virus disease. He said that the Aviation industry received big boost while rail and road infrastructure had reached more than 90 per cent rehabilitation.

He said his administration strengthened the cabotage law to create way for the participation of local entrepreneurs in the oil and gas business.

“We are marching on and in the next four years, if re-elected, we will take this country to an unimaginable height.’’

On power supply, Jonathan said that the power sector reform had yielded dividends and that this year would be the interface to move the sector from federal government control to private sector control to finally end incidents of power outage.
Senator Ahmadu Alli, who stood in for PDP national chairman, Dr Adamu Mu’azu, said that the party was happy with the achievements of President Jonathan and his Vice and decided to sponsor them to complete their second tenure.

The Delta State Governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan, noted that the reign of Edozien had brought peace and development to the state.

He added that the government had heeded to his earlier request to improve electricity supply to Asaba through the NIPP project but awaiting the energisation of the project.