The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola on Monday said President Muhammadu Buhari’s foreign trips was meant to fix Nigeria’s reputation which was severely damaged by the immediate past administration of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan.
In an article titled, “PMB’s foreign trips, My takeaway,” Fashola also noted that the Presidents intervention in the global oil and gas sector led to the recent stability in crude oil prices.
Fashola said, “This is why PMB is travelling. To repair our reputation severely damaged by the last government, and to assure our partners that Nigeria has changed. From there, to renegotiate an existing funding agreement to complete critical transport infrastructure.”
The former governor of Lagos State said Nigeria currently had the support of the world’s seven most powerful countries, which he attributed to the visit the President made during a meeting of the G7 countries in Germany, last year.
Fashola, while explaining the Presidents recent trip to China, said six collaborative agreements were signed.
He said, “This last mentioned agreement was a legitimate coup by PMB, because the intelligence was that some West African countries were going to sign before us. PMB seized the moment. Of course, he had to apologise for our previous failures on our agreement made to part-fund four airport projects in Lagos, Kano, Abuja and Port Harcourt and the Abuja-Kaduna rail project.
“The Chinese had provided their agreed part of 85 per cent but the remaining 15 per cent Nigeria did not honour during the last administration. Some of the recent revelations about financial scandals estimated at $2.1bn in the Office of the National Security Adviser alone during the last administration suggest how impactful such funds would have been in delivering these critical infrastructures; but we all know what happened.”
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