Minister of Works Dave Umahi has called on people and political leaders in the South-East to support President Bola Tinubu’s bid for a second term, pointing to ongoing federal infrastructure projects and other interventions in the region.
Umahi made the appeal in Abuja on Tuesday while receiving the report of the North-West leg of the Nationwide Federal Roads Project Tour carried out by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS).
The minister urged South-East leaders to openly explain to residents what he described as the benefits the region has received from the Tinubu administration.
“It is a strategic decision that we Igbos must make. And I commend the south-east governors and the governor of Anambra State for his bold decision.
“He is not afraid of telling our people the truth; the truth is that we must support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.
Umahi said discussions about alleged marginalisation of the South-East should not focus only on political appointments, arguing that infrastructure development should also be considered when assessing the region’s relationship with the Federal Government.
He said the Tinubu administration had addressed some of the concerns previously raised by South-East stakeholders over federal infrastructure and representation.
“I call for debate. If you are insulting me, insult me constructively. Do not just empty talk.
“When I was governor of Ebonyi State for eight years, and now as Minister of Works, what have I done through the support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu?” he asked.
The minister also urged stakeholders in the region to consider supporting Tinubu so that other parts of the country could reciprocate when the South-East eventually seeks support for its own presidential ambition.
Umahi also praised NANS for organising an independent inspection of federal road projects across the six geopolitical zones.
According to him, the students requested access to project sites without interference and rejected logistics assistance offered by the Ministry of Works, insisting that they wanted to independently assess the projects.
He described the initiative as responsible and said the students were showing interest in understanding ongoing government projects rather than focusing on issues he considered less useful to their future.
The minister also welcomed civil society organisations that have expressed interest in monitoring federal infrastructure projects.
On the nationwide road programme, Umahi said the Federal Government had expanded the scope of four legacy road corridors from about 700 kilometres to approximately 1,150 kilometres following Tinubu’s directive.
He cited the Sokoto-Badagry corridor, which he said stretches about 1,068 kilometres, and the 135-kilometre Akwanga-Jos road, which is currently under construction.
“Only about 30 per cent of it is constructed as new projects, mostly the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
“In most cases, the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is also passing through an existing road, and we expanded it,” he said.
Other projects highlighted by the minister included the 156-kilometre Gombe-Bauchi road, the 149-kilometre Bauchi-Jos road, the approximately 400-kilometre new Ogoja-Calabar connection and the Biu-Maiduguri corridor.
Umahi said the Bauchi-Gombe road had been fully rehabilitated, while damaged sections of roads in Bauchi and Jigawa states were being reconstructed using box culverts, rigid concrete pavement and asphalt.
He disclosed that the Federal Government was providing 30 per cent of the funding for the legacy road projects, with the remaining 70 per cent coming through foreign loans.
According to him, the loans are structured around tolling the completed roads, with revenue from the corridors expected to contribute towards repayment.
Umahi also defended the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway against criticism, stressing that a significant portion of the project passes through the Niger Delta.
He said the highway would run through Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states, describing it as an important infrastructure corridor for both the region and the wider Nigerian economy.
Source: NAN
