CSOs laud Buhari’s approval of Abuja centenary city project

President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision to continue the Abuja Centenary City Project has elicited commendation by 14 civil society organisations, including Centre for Social Justice, Equity and Transparency.

The groups described the decision as a sign that the current administration may not abandon projects.

At a press conference in Abuja at the weekend, the groups said truncating the $18.5 billion project would have had grave consequences on the economy in addition to creating credibility problems for the country as foreign investors would have concluded that Nigeria has no culture of honouring agreements.

Executive Coordinator of the Centre for Social Justice, Equity and Transparency, Ikpa Isaac, who briefed journalists on behalf of the other groups commended President Buhari for approving the project initiated by his predecessor, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, despite efforts by a few individuals to allegedly confuse the issue because of their own selfish interests.

“We are particularly pleased at Mr. President’s endorsement of this project which is projected to create about 250,000 direct jobs in the Federal Capital Territory and about half a million indirect jobs. This potential to create thousands of direct and indirect jobs for our teeming youths has
always made this project of interest to us.

“We see this step as a clear testimony to the readiness of President Buhari to continue with projects that have direct impact on the citizenry. We appeal that he looks dispassionately and critically into other inherited programmes of the past administration with a view to further expanding those that will create additional employment for the youths.

“The same consideration should be applied to businesses and individuals that genuinely acquired land in the Federal Capital Territory under the former administration after following due process. This is because these smaller concerns and individuals are also creating thousands of employments that could be lost in the event of revocations,” Isaac said.