Nigeria’s Information Minister, Labaran Maku has described President Goodluck Jonathan as resolute towards implementing the Transformation Agenda to grow the economy and create wealth and employment in-spite of security challenges in some parts of the country.

He made the remarks in Abuja on Wednesday September 4, 2013 when he received a delegation from the International Leadership Conference of Ministries’ College of Bishops on a courtesy visit to his office.

Labaran Maku noted that the President is transforming the nation into a modern economy through strategic policy implementation and reforms in critical sectors; saying these have begun to yield positive results. He enjoined religious leaders to be consistent in praying for peace, stability and unity among Muslims and Christians so as to create the needed environment for development to thrive in the country.

Maku pointed out that despite varied predictions against the unity of the country, through prayers and belief in God Nigeria has been able to sustain the trials and remains united under a common goal.

“Nigeria has come a long way because of our prayers. People are always crying to God concerning our nation and God has been listening to our prayers as a country. God’s strong hand in this nation has continued to move us from crisis to crisis and the world has been amazed. Sometimes people predict that Nigeria would be finished or Nigeria will collapse. There is no prediction which the world has not made about our country; but they have always been disappointed because there is the hand of God in this country and Nigeria will continue to endure”, he averred.

The Information Minister pledged the total commitment of the President and members of his cabinet to the unity, development, peace and solidarity of the people of Nigeria. He indicated that three years ago, the President constituted an Economic Management Team which designed the Transformation Agenda and translated it into practical programmes for implementation with timelines in all the key sectors of Nigeria’s public life.

He added that for two years, Nigeria’s economy has grown at the rate of 7% owing mainly to reforms particularly in agriculture which is driving the GDP growth in the country. “In spite of all the artificial crises created to distract him and deny the harmony required for developing the country, the President because of his humility, meek nature and calm has been able to manage the crises and develop the country. In two years, this economy has been growing as the fastest in Africa, recording GDP growth of about 7% per annum. We have never had that growth in the last thirty years,” the Minister intimated.

“For the first time in this country, this President has patiently put forward a team with such policies that are translating deficits into opportunities for investment. So what the President has done is to regenerate this nation through creative and visionary policies that will stop the lamentations in the land.”

Speaking on the development recorded in the power sector, the Minister stressed that in addition to the ten new power plants which would come on stream soon, the President has deregulated the sector to attract private sector investments and ensure stability in power generation, distribution and transmission.

He informed the visiting team that the reactivation of the railways has enabled haulage of containers from Lagos to Kano; adding that a week ago, Government launched the haulage of containers from Lagos to Kano by rail. “New coaches, he said ‘have been purchased to modernise them.’


Speaking on the issue, he explained that the Nigerian President is presently building the modern rail-line with the standard gauge existing in most developed countries which can carry faster trains. He also noted that Government has commenced development on the rail transport between Abuja and Kaduna; insisting that almost 70% of the work has been completed. He said, ‘in the next one to two years, people would not need to move their home from Kaduna to Abuja because of their work; rather they would have to come to work in Abuja from Kaduna by rail if they choose.’

The Minister further disclosed that the construction of the standard gauge rail line is on going between Warri and Itakpe, while the contract for the Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge rail line has been awarded. ‘This, he explained would eventually ink up the rail line between Abuja, Kaduna and Kano.

According to him, the development of infrastructure to support inland waterways transportation is ongoing, particularly the dredging of River Niger which has been completed and the construction of sea ports in Baro, Oguta, Lokoja and Onitsha. “Unlike in the past where Nigeria relied on the importation of cement through creative policies that unbundled the cement sector, Nigeria is now a net exporter of cement,” he observed.

He frowned at those who he indicated as overheating the polity; stating that they were purely motivated by personal political ambitions rather than issues of development because the President has demonstrated the will and the capacity to develop the nation.

Speaking earlier, the President of the International Leadership Conference of Ministries’ College of Bishops, John Praise Daniel sought for collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Information on the Twentieth Conference of the College in Abuja.

He thanked the President for declaring a state of emergency in some states of the North-East, which he said has significantly brought peace to volatile areas. John Praise appealed to the faction in the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to forget their grievances and allow Nigerians to enjoy peace as well as the dividends of democracy.