Supporting Tinubu was a strategic decision for the people of the South-East, commending the region’s governors, particularly the Anambra State governor, for what he described as a bold position
By Moses Okorie
Minister of Works, David Umahi, has appealed to the people of the South-East to support President Bola Tinubu’s bid for a second term, citing ongoing Federal Government infrastructure projects across the region and other parts of the country.
Umahi made the appeal in Abuja on Tuesday when he received the report of the North-West leg of the Nationwide Federal Roads Project Tour undertaken by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS).
He urged South-East leaders and stakeholders to engage their people and explain what he described as the benefits of the Tinubu administration’s policies and infrastructure interventions.
Umahi said supporting Tinubu was a strategic decision for the people of the South-East, commending the region’s governors, particularly the Anambra State governor, for what he described as a bold position.
“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.
The minister called for a factual debate on the issue of marginalisation, urging critics to assess the region’s infrastructure development alongside political appointments.
According to him, the South-East should compare the projects and interventions it received under previous administrations with those being implemented under the present administration.
Umahi said the Tinubu administration had addressed some of the concerns previously raised by the region regarding infrastructure and development.
“I call for debate. If you are insulting me, insult me constructively. Do not just empty talk,” he said.
He further urged South-East stakeholders to support the administration, arguing that such support could encourage reciprocal backing from other regions when the South-East eventually seeks the presidency.
The minister commended NANS for organising a nationwide inspection of Federal Government road projects, saying the students had demonstrated commitment to accountability by seeking direct access to project sites.
He disclosed that the students declined logistics assistance from the Ministry of Works, insisting on independent and unhindered access to the projects.
Umahi also welcomed civil society organisations interested in monitoring Federal Government projects, saying independent oversight would promote transparency.
On the Federal Government’s legacy road projects, the minister said the scope had increased from about 700 kilometres to approximately 1,150 kilometres following President Tinubu’s directive.
He identified the 1,068-kilometre Sokoto-Badagry corridor and the 135-kilometre Akwanga-Jos road as examples of major projects under construction.
According to him, only about 30 per cent of the expanded projects involved entirely new construction, with the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway accounting for a significant portion of the new works.
He said the Lagos-Calabar highway also utilised existing road corridors in several locations, which were being expanded and upgraded.
Other projects listed by Umahi included the 156-kilometre Gombe-Bauchi road, 149-kilometre Bauchi-Jos road, the approximately 400-kilometre new Ogoja-Calabar connection and the Biu-Maiduguri corridor.
He said the Bauchi-Gombe road had been fully rehabilitated, while damaged sections in Bauchi and Jigawa states were undergoing reconstruction using box culverts, rigid pavement and asphalt surfacing.
Umahi explained that the Federal Government was financing 30 per cent of the legacy projects, while 70 per cent was being sourced through foreign loans.
He said the loans were structured around tolling the completed roads, with revenue from the corridors expected to be used to repay the financing.
Defending the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the minister said the project was not limited to the coastal areas of the South-West and South-South, as it would pass through Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states.
He described the highway as a major infrastructure project with implications for economic activities and connectivity across the affected states and the wider Nigerian economy.