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Ayade assents Cross River’s infrastructure fund bill

By Anietie Akpan, Calabar
16 July 2015   |   8:09 am
CROSS River State Governor, Sen. Ben Ayade, has signed the state’s infrastructure fund bill into law. The enactment empowers the state government to seek funding for its capital projects such as the governor’s signature projects in its effort to render services to the citizenry. Speaking at the signing ceremony witnessed by members of the state…
Ayade

Ayade

CROSS River State Governor, Sen. Ben Ayade, has signed the state’s infrastructure fund bill into law. The enactment empowers the state government to seek funding for its capital projects such as the governor’s signature projects in its effort to render services to the citizenry.

Speaking at the signing ceremony witnessed by members of the state House of Assembly, including the Speaker, John Gaul Lebo and the state chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ntufam John Okon in Calabar; Ayade described the legislation as a bill that intends to seek for funds to cater for the people.

While expressing appreciation to the lawmakers for their efforts, the governor said: “I specially thank you because you recognised the challenges ahead of us, particularly when you juxtapose them with the pregnant hope we have given to our people, inspiring them, giving communities dreams beyond their limits of reasoning, beyond bounds of human expectations, it is a huge challenge.”

He continued: “That change is not something brains alone can deal with. The governor alone cannot deal with it. It requires you and I, it requires the three tiers of government and I am humbled that the legislature is taking the lead in driving the executive’s ambition.”

The governor noted that the cooperation of the lawmakers was the kind of synergy required for the state to move forward and become a leading light among the comity of states in Nigeria.

Governor Ayade said it was exciting signing first bill and reiterated the faith of the people in his party, adding that though the signature projects envisaged by his administration look ambitious, the intention, he argued, was to create a sustainable take-off and a brighter hope for the people.

He observed that the Infrastructure Fund Law was an indication that the deep seaport, super highway, garment industry, haulage city, modular refinery and other projects were achievable based on the philosophy guiding development economy which is to provide infrastructure for the economy to grow.

“Government should not only provide an enabling and conducive environment for the private sector to grow, it is the government’s duty to provide a platform where people have employment. We have to choose the Chinese economy which is what a developing economy should do.

“Government expects that horizon broadens as it will bring fresh economy which is a developing economy and we have the verve, force and capacity to go ahead and you have started it right and it is my duty to ensure that all the projects are on course. Let the world know and the entire Cross Riverians celebrate that we have set the pace for others to emulate,” Ayade stated.

Earlier, the House Speaker, Lebo, situated the legislature’s support for the on relevant sections of the nation’s constitution, especially Sections 44 and 46 of the state Bureau for Public and Private Enterprises Law that requires in future that state government considers a bill that boosts infrastructure.

According to him, “the law provides how welfare can be rendered to its people and the legislature owes it a duty that whatever is required by law is given a speedy order. I must say this is the first private bill to be entertained by the House since 1999 and we owe the governor an obligation to move ahead by deliberating on it speedily,” Lebo stated.

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