By Jonathan Ugbal: Government House Correspondent
The advanced security and protocol team of Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari has arrived Calabar, the Cross River State capital ahead of his visit on Tuesday, June 26 CrossRiverWatch authoritatively reports.
Mr. Buhari is expected to commission the Nigerian Navy Reference Hospital along Murtala Muhammad Highway and the Rice Seed and Seedlings Manufacturing Plant at the Goodluck Ebele Jonathan Airport bypass when he visits.
And the advanced team which arrived Calabar at about 7:45 PM consisting of personnel from the Army, Nigeria Police, Nigeria’s Secret Service among others went first to the reference hospital which has been completed after been abandoned for almost four decades.
Political watcher say the decision to commission the facility which is expected to serve both the southeast and south south regions of the country as well as beyond shows the President’s resolve to complete abandoned projects; a character of his administration.
Meanwhile, a statement from the Cross River State Government says all is set for Mr. Buhari’s second visit in three years.
The statement signed by Governor Ben Ayade’s spokesman, Mr. Christian Ita qoutes the governor as saying: “We are perfectly in order. This is home coming for Mr. President and as far as I am concerned, Cross River is ready to receive him. We are going to him a perfect reception.”
Mr. Buhari had visited Akamkpa in October, 2015 to perform the groundbreaking ceremony for the proposed 275.5kilometers six lane superhighway.
And, Mr. Ayade said the President’s visit, which is the second since assuming the Presidency, was an indication of the president’s love for the state and a stamp of approval for his administration’s investments in agriculture.
“The first visit of President Buhari was on infrastructure but this second visit will be agriculture related and it shows consistency and a pass mark on my government.”
The manufacturing plant commonly referred to as the Calabar rice factory in which according to the state, is the first in Africa.
It is also a seed multiplication centre that produces high yielding, disease resistant and vitaminized rice seedlings.
A projected annual revenue of NGN50 billion is expected “with federal government’s support,” the statement added.
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