By SALIF ATOJOKO

President Bola Tinubu says his administration will complete the Eastern Rail line connecting Port Harcourt to Maiduguri.

Tinubu gave the assurance at an interactive session with South East leaders in Enugu during his visit to the state on Saturday, Mr Bayo Onanuga, his spokesman, said in a statement.

The President also pledged that his administration would support the development of the Anambra Basin as a significant energy reserve.

The basin is estimated to hold up to 1 billion barrels of oil and 30 billion cubic feet of gas.

?On the support of the gas infrastructure. Sure, gas is an alternative to petrol. There is no wasting of time than to invest more in it. We will do it together, and I am lucky I have good governors,? he said.

President Tinubu praised Gov. Peter Mbah for his development model and philosophy after inaugurating several projects executed by the state government.

He pledged that the federal government would continue to support Enugu and other states in their development efforts.

Among the projects inaugurated by the President are the GTC Smart Green School; New Haven/Bisalla Road, the International Conference Center, the Command-and-Control Center, and 150 patrol vehicles equipped with surveillance cameras.

The President also performed the virtual commissioning of other notable projects from the Enugu State Government House.

At the inauguration of the Command-and-Control Center, the President said investment in security would bring rapid development.

?This is a profound demonstration of what we can do together. It reassures me that more revenue going to the sub-nationals and local government is not a waste. It is for development.

?We have committed leaders like Peter Mbah taking Enugu on the path of 21st-century development, taking Enugu to greater heights, and building our tomorrow today,? he said.

President Tinubu further lauded the governor, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), for demonstrating an irrevocable commitment to human development.

?I don?t care which party you come from; you are my friend. Alex Otti of Abia State is also doing very well. It is not about the differences in languages and place of birth.

?No one of us has control of the mother tongue. God created us, and you can find yourself in Enugu, Onitsha or Lagos.

?We are all members of one huge family called Nigeria, but we live in different rooms in the same house.

?We must build this house to satisfy our immediate and future needs,? he said.

Mbah commended the Tinubu administration for establishing the South East Development Commission and liberalising the electricity sector through the Electricity Act (Amendment).

?Your Excellency, your credential as a true federalist stands out brightly, and the legacies thereof will long earn you resounding accolades.

?In signing the Electricity Act (Amendment) Bill, you liberalised electricity generation, transmission, and distribution. That singular act will consistently rank as an enduring legacy.

?It is noteworthy that Enugu State was the first sub-national to which the NERC ceded regulatory oversight of the local electricity market. That reflects how swiftly we are pursuing our goals,? he said. (NAN)

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