By Izunna Okafor, Awka
In what many have described as a long-overdue step towards addressing decades of infrastructural neglect, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has received hearty commendations from the Igbo Community Association (ICA), Abuja, for his recent approval to kick-start the construction of lite railway lines across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones.
The Association, in a statement jointly signed by its President-General, Engr. Ikenna Ellis-Ezenekwe, and Secretary-General, Emmanuel Chinwoke Onah, hailed the move as historic and symbolic, especially for the people of the South-East who have long lamented marginalization in federal infrastructural development.
According to the group, the railway initiative stands as a direct response to the longstanding demands of the South-East people and other regions, and has the potential to reverse the “many years of infrastructural dilapidation that have littered the various geopolitical regions of Nigeria.”
The statement further noted that the South-East people, who bore the brunt of federal neglect since the Nigerian Civil War, are particularly elated by this gesture, describing it as a welcome reintegration of the region into the Nigerian fold.
“This action by Mr. President is worthy of commendation,” the ICA said.
“We strongly commend this move because it goes a long way to welcome the people of the South-East back into Nigeria. We are glad to be considered and regarded as Nigerians again. The President deserves to be hailed for this historic move,” it added.
Highlighting the economic benefits, the group stressed that the lite railway lines would transform trade and business activities in the South-East, boost commercial growth, create jobs, and reduce youth restiveness.
They further applauded the entrepreneurial spirit of Ndi Igbo, who, despite years of neglect, have transformed towns and communities across Nigeria into thriving cities. With renewed federal attention on critical infrastructure, they expressed confidence that the South-East economy would witness accelerated growth.
The Association concluded by thanking President Tinubu for what they described as a “landmark step” and expressed hope that the railway project would be speedily implemented to impact lives and businesses across the country.
