From Ani Bassey, Calabar
Minister of Transport Rotimi Ameachi says the nations problems are directly traced to poverty.
The Minister disclosed this during the 34th Convocation Lecture of the University of Calabar where he spoke as guest lecturer.
He posited that the country must conquer poverty and inequality or the poor will eventually overrun the country during the lecture which had as theme: “The National Question and the Challenges of Nationhood in Nigeria”.
He said the present administration has identified this threat and is committed to lifting millions of Nigerians out of poverty.
“Of all the challenges facing our nation, none is more urgent than the scourge of poverty and massive inequality.
“We must attack and conquer inequality or the poor will overrun Nigeria.
“Nearly all the troubles that confront us as a nation today can be directly traced to poverty .
“The Buhari administration has identified poverty as one of the major impediments of national development and is committed to lifting millions of people out of poverty”, the Minister said.
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On the national question, he said we must seek common grounds on broad national issues on bi-partisan basis rather on the basis of personalities.
On the transport sector, he said the government is embarking on the most expansive and ambitious railway program in the history of Nigeria and this programme will get to Calabar in a few months.
“We are embarking on the most ambitions and expansive railway rehabilitation programme in the history of Nigeria.
“The president inherited a contract of 11 billion dollars to construct a railway from Lagos to terminate in Calabar.
“Just wait, before the end of the year you will see contractors and as you are waiting in the next few months you will see us sign a loan agreement for the project.
“We are also renewing the Lord Lugard era standard railway line that has been out of effective service for decades and transforming it to standard gauge.
“We anticipate that the new network of rail will increase the volume of internal trade and ease transportation of goods, petroleum a d industrial products.
“The full benefits of Buhari’s railway development plan will not be fully felt now, it is future generations that will real the benefits of these projects”, he said.
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He stressed that no single administration solves all the problems of a country and the government is committed to expanding the frontiers of development during it’s time.
Earlier, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Prof. Florence Obi, who thanked the minister for accepting to deliver the convocation lecture, said that the university was poised to promoting academic excellence.
Obi said the university’s critical infrastructure were also destroyed during the #EndSARS protest on Oct. 24, 2020.
According to her, the male and female hostels, the Academic Publishing Centre, the University of Calabar Hotel and other centres on campus were destroyed during the protest.
She noted that when she assumed office as the 11th vice chancellor of the institution on Dec. 1 2020, she took a comprehensive repair of the hostel with a view to providing comfortable accommodation for students.
