The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan has said that the government of President Muhammadu Buhari is in a hurry to develop Nigeria.
Lawan made the remarks on Saturday while on a visit to Kwara State to witness the launch of the 2022 Empowerment Programme of Senator Sadiq Suleiman Umar who is representing Kwara North.
The event which was also witnessed by the State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq held at the Kwara State Polytechnic.
But most Nigerians are at a loss over the statement considering that Buhari has less than two years for a two term of four years to leave, while kidnappings, killings and acts of terrorism have assumed heightening and worrisome dimension.
In fact, Buhari had said recently that he had ‘tried his best’ , a statement, some analysts regard as ‘admission of hopelessness’ in finding solutions to the worsening security and poverty, among others.
However, according to a release by Ola Awoniyi Special Adviser(Media)
to President of the Senate, Lawan said there were infrastructural projects going on in virtually all parts of the country stressing that the synergy between the States and Federal government was producing positive results.
“Development of any nation is not about Federal government doing its beat. It is about Federal Government doing its own, working in partnership with the state government and even the local government and that is what we are doing.
“Every single project of Federal Government of Nigeria whether it is a constituency project or direct project from the Federal government, is to complement what the state government is doing and that partnership has been so purposeful that today in every corner, in every part of Nigeria, you have infrastructural development.
“The Federal government of President Muhammadu Buhari is in a hurry. We are in a hurry to develop Nigeria.
“By 2023, Nigeria would have been turned into an infrastructural laboratory because every part of Nigeria, from the East to the West to the North to the South, there is something going on.
“In the East, the second Niger bridge, today it is at 75 to 80 percent completion level. For 20 years, those people, they will go there, do groundbreaking and disappear to the ground. Another person would come, do groundbreaking and disappear to the ground.
President Muhammadu Buhari did only one groundbreaking and today, it is at 75 percent completion level. That is what it is, in every part of Nigeria.
“So the synergy between our states and the Federal government is working. It is making Nigeria to develop the infrastructure that we need. We have never seen it done like this one by this administration,” Lawan said.
The Senate President was full of commendation for the Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq for changing the narratives in the state in terms of development and urged the people of Kwara State to consider him for another term to continue his good work.
“APC administration in this state is barely two and half years but we know how far we have gone in two and half years.
“Others were here for 16 years. What you(Governor Abdulrazaq) have been able to do in two and half years can be favourably compared with what others could not do in 16 years.
“No one should deceive you. No one should confuse you. Elect His Excellency, Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq for a second term. He has already performed so well in two and half years,” Lawan said.
Lawan said the Empowerment Programme of Senator Sadiq Suleiman Umar was to complement the efforts of the state government.
The Senate President extolled the virtues of the Kwara North Senator for his commitment and dedication to work and for the quality representation of his people at the Senate.
Lawan said the people of Kwara had sent the best team to represent them at the Senate and appealed to them to continue to support the return bid of their three senators to the National Assembly.
The six Senators in company of the Senate President on the trip from Abuja were Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi( Senate Deputy Chief Whip), Bello Mandiya, Yakubu Oseni, Ibrahim Oloriegbe, Lola Ashiru and Smart Adeyemi.