Governor of Cross River State, Prof. Ben Ayade, has given reasons why he is in total support of President Muhammadu Bu­hari’s administration anti-corruption war.
The governor said any­one who has passed through hardship, pain and frustra­tion despite the country bring blessed with abundant resources will gladly fight corruption.
Ayade expressed the sup­port when he spoke with State House correspondents shortly after meeting Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja yesterday.
“The anti-corruption war is perfect. Those who know the pains, hardship and frus­trations that Nigerians have passed through will agree with me on this.
“As a nation, there is so much in terms of natural resources and the people are so poor.
“It is only obvious that any serious government must take the issue of cor­ruption seriously, and I think that is why, today, Nigeria is beginning to have national and international image that looks like Nigeria is getting prepared for business.
“That is why investments are flowing into Cross River State, that is a sign that the anti-corruption war is actu­ally working and it is giving Nigeria the international im­age that we need,” he said.
Ayade also said the issue of the Bakassi Deep Seaport formed major part of his dis­cussion with Buhari.
The governor further disclosed that construction work would start in full once the Environmental Im­pact Assessment is conclud­ed as equipment have been moved to site.
“The project is real and that is part of what I dis­cussed with Mr. President and he has given his com­mitment that he will support the deep seaport and the evacuation corridor which is the 260 kilometre super highway.
“The president did give an advice and warning that as far as he had come to give support to this programme, I must come to give him quarterly progress report on this project.”
The Cross River State governor said he also dis­cussed the state’s rice pro­duction project that a special agriculture credit facility of N4.8 billion had already been requested.
He said the total invest­ment outlay of the project is N10 billion, excluding a foreign element, which is a function of what the foreign partners are bringing. On Tinapa, Ayade said the state would, on February 14, commission a monorail to mark Valentine’s Day.
He said the monorail is the first of its kind in West Africa.