President Jonathan posted this on his Facebook page yesterday
afternoon. Read the full message after the cut…
Dear friends on facebook,
The determination of this administration to create
wealth in Nigeria and for Nigerians has led us to focus our investment drive
towards attracting Foreign Direct Investments in manufacturing and the service
sector to ensure that jobs are created. And this drive is not an exercise in
futility as Nigeria is becoming the preferred destination for FDI. Just last
week, General Electric announced a decision to invest $1 billion in setting up
a manufacturing plant to support power generation and oil production. Their
plant, to be situated in Calabar, will provide jobs for thousands with
multiplier effect for tens of thousands more and will make Nigeria a hub for
power equipment in the region. The end result of this investment is that
Nigeria’s power generating infrastructure will be expanded meaning more power
for Nigerians which translates to even more jobs.
While we continue to encourage the Private Sector to
help grow our economy and create jobs for our youths, we will do all within our
powers to also keep our youths engaged. In this regard I am happy to report
that the 600 bed Federal Teaching Hospital in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State which
this administration began working on in February 2011. This project has reached
95% completion and when commissioned later this year it will provide jobs for
3000 people. Similar projects are ongoing in other geo-political zones and I
will keep you updated.
Similarly, ongoing massive investments in the
rehabilitation of our railways are being carried out with direct labour,
thereby providing jobs to thousands of our youths especially around the
Ilorin-Minna-Kaduna-Kano corridor of our rail network. In addition to the
regular Lagos to Kano service, the Nigerian Railway Corporation has introduced
new routes including the Offa-Kano intercity service. These initiatives are
generating employment and providing an inexpensive means of travel as well as
an alternative means of hauling heavy goods and petroleum products to the
hinterland.
Rehabilitation works are also ongoing in the
nation’s pipelines to ensure a resumption of the supply of petroleum products
by pipelines all over the nation thus reducing the pressure on our roads and
railways and freeing up space for hauling other products. Jobs are being
created as this is ongoing and moribund services are being resumed.
Just last month, the Benin Depot of the Pipeline
Product Marketing Company (PPMC) was reopened after a successful completion of
rehabilitation works. Products can now be transferred by pipelines to this
facility.
And it is not just in the service sectors that we
are seeing construction and rehabilitation. During the maiden meeting of the
Executive Council of the Federation meeting, the Federal Government approved
the establishment of three new universities in Yobe, Kebbi and Zamfara states.
Apart from the jobs that the construction works will generate in those states,
value is being added to the local economy as more citizens will have access to
tertiary education with its attendant effect in wealth generation and improved health.
My dear friends on facebook, may God bless you, even
as I pray for Almighty God to bless our country, Nigeria. GEJ
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