By Temitope Ajayi
In his policy document christened ‘My Covenant with Nigerians,’ former Vice President and PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, outlines his Infrastructure Agenda, detailing his plan to create a Special Fund to accelerate investments in critical infrastructure.
Going through the so-called plan, it is crystal clear that the Waziri Adamawa is completely out of tune with the nation’s socio-economic trajectory in the last seven years. Being resident in Dubai for so long comes with its consequences, isn’t it?
But if Atiku’s can be excused for his lack of grasp of happenings in a country he dreams to lead, can the same be said of his paid advisers, whom one expect to know better and advise their Principal properly at least to justify their pay?
We owe it a duty to educate Atiku and his aides on what the Muhammadu Buhari administration has done to address the nation’s massive infrastructural deficit.
As far back as six years ago, the Buhari administration created the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF) to fund critical road projects, including the Lagos-Ibadan, Abuja-Kaduna-Kano, Expressways, East-West Road and the Second Niger Bridge, outside the regular annual budget provisions.
The APC-led government also devised creative funding options such as the Executive Order 7, which gives tax credits to companies for road construction. Under this scheme, over 1800 kilometers of roads are being reconstructed across the country.
A major road artery, the Kabba-Obajana Expressway in Kogi State was reconstructed by Dangote Group taking advantage of this scheme. The indigenous conglomerate is also fixing the Apapa-Oworonshoki Road in Lagos. Telecoms giant, MTN has got the nod to complete the reconstruction of Onitsha-Enugu Road, while big firms like BUA, Flour Mills Plc, GLO and many others, have also keyed into this initiative.
The current government also floated the Sukuk Bonds, through which hundreds of billions of naira have been raised to fund road infrastructure in all the six geo-political zones. Isn’t it also worrisome that Atiku is not aware of the Highway Development Management Initiative (HDMI), another novel idea of the current administration on infrastructural funding for roads?
I particularly find it more galling that the Waziri Adamawa is not aware or deliberately feigning ignorance that the Buhari government has already incorporated a N15 trillion Infrastructure Company (INFRACO), involving the African Finance Corporation (AFC), Federal Government and other commercial interests to ensure long term and sustainable funding of infrastructure across sectors. This is unprecedented even if Atiku and his party are not willing to admit it.
Fact is, the PDP presidential candidate is not offering Nigerians anything new on how to revamp our decrepit national infrastructure and funding for same in his policy document, apparently put together by lazy minds.
Our former Vice President should get more creative with his team of advisers and offer us something different from what already exists. If the best Atiku can offer us now is poor imitation of what Buhari is currently doing, he sure has no reason to remain in the presidential race. Atiku can as quit this race for serious contenders who are ready for the job to afford him more time to spend in Dubai.