Buhari Names Bayelsa Federal Secretariat After Jonathan

President Muhammedu Buhari has named the newly commissioned Federal Secretariat in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, after the former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.

President Buhari made the pronouncement at the official commissioning of the completed Federal Secretariats in Awka, Anambra State, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State and Gusau in Zamfara State simultaneously yesterday.

While declaring the secretariats open virtually, Buhari noted that he approved the recommendation to dedicate the secretariats in Yenagoa, Awka and Gusau in honour of some illustrious citizens who have served the country meritoriously.

The Federal Secretariats in Awka Anambra State was named after Ebere Okiki, while the Federal Secretariats in Gusau, Zamfara State was named after Mallam Aya Gusau.

The president said even at the twilight of his tenure, his administration still rendered developmental services as he handed over three bridges projects, three federal secretariat projects and one road project.

He said, “These are only symbols of our efforts and commitment to upgrade, renew and expand Nigeria’s stock of infrastructure.

We did not act on infrastructure by accident, it is a deliberate effort for our government to fight poverty, to create economic growth and employment in all facet of prosperity for our people.

“I am not oblivious of the concerns and debates of our stock of foreign debt. Those concerns are legitimate and in many instances, well meaning. Many of the debts are tired to projects and are transparent and verifiable. Some of the projects are commercially self liquidating.

“Without investing in infrastructure, the road out of poverty is tougher. So as we look at the debt profile, let us also look at the assets and investment profiles, some of which we paid for by debt and some by investment income. The eight years, I will say that we are able to build the Nigerian stock in infrastructure to GDP from about 20% to over 40% and that is not a small undertaken.

“The projects that we hand over today apart from others such as rail, sea, airport and gas line projects, symbolizes our country’s focus on delivering prosperity. This is an example of the change that we promised, to invest dividend income and invisible assets that will last for generations.

“Our anti-corruption approach does not end in court, stolen and recovered assets are utilized for the common good. The Federal Secretariats in Awka, Yenagoa and Gusua are through our commitment to complete as many projects as possible and our desire to reduce the cost of governance by bringing federal civil servants under one roof for efficient service delivery. This will begin to reduce our office expenditure for office spaces.

“I approved the recommendation to dedicate this Secretariats in honour of some illustrious citizens who served our country. I therefore now have the honour to declare Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan Federal Secretariat in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Ebere Okiki Federal Secretariat in Awka, Anambra State and Mallam Aya Gusua Federal Secretariat in Gusua, Zamfara State opened for public use”, Buhari stated.

In a remark, the Bayelsa State Governor Senator Douye Diri represented by the Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo said that the federal government must have seen that construction in Bayelsa State is more repulsive, more resistant and more difficult, adding that it took about eleven years to complete the project.

Diri expressed regret that some all-knowing lookers and some distance observers have always condemn governors of the South East, South South and South West especially the Niger Delta governors for carting away and misusing the resources that are allocated to them.

“But I am very sure that the federal government having past through this road in Bayelsa State cannot make those comments again. Of course, they have seen that construction in Bayelsa here is more repulsive and more resistant and more difficult.

“The project here was initially billed for 2.5billion Naira but after the flood in 2012, it was redesigned and that is what we pass through to make projects available to us. While it may cost them two billion to construct what have been done in Anambra and Zamfara, here it cost them about 3.9billion Naira including the furnishing.

“That is the difference and that is what we pass through in terms of our roads. So I am very happy that the story should change now, we spend a lot of our resources to get a road. We do a kilometer road here for about 4 billion Naira, elsewhere that’s about 3 kilometers of road because we have to create the land ourselves and I am happy that the federal government has experienced it”, Diri said.

Also the Minister for Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola represented by the Director, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Architect Ikwoor Uzodinma, said that a lot of work have been put into the project which started in 2011, disclosing that the project which has 342 office is seating on a 7.5 hectares of land.

“There’s a lot of review of the project and we are happy to say that today we have seen a beautiful federal Secretariat. We have 342 offices here, we have 300 parking spaces and we have solar grid here fully completed that it is an alternative means of power.

“It is a wonderful feeling to be a civil servant at this time and we are happy that all the civil servants that were hitherto in rented houses in Yenagoa will all move to federal Secretariat in a very comfortable environment where work can go on”, Fashola hinted.