The Minister of Works, Mr Dave Umahi, has called on leaders from the south-east region of Nigeria to be bold and vocal in educating their people on the benefits of supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's administration. Umahi made this appeal in Abuja on Tuesday while receiving the report of the northwest leg of the Nationwide Federal Roads Project Tour conducted by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS). He emphasized the need for the south-east to support Tinubu's second term bid.
Umahi argued that the south-east region should compare the benefits they have received from successive administrations with the infrastructure and other interventions being undertaken by the Tinubu administration. He stated that marginalisation should be considered from the point of appointments and infrastructure. According to him, the Tinubu administration has broken the jinx in areas where the south-east had previously complained of marginalisation.
The minister commended the south-east governors and the governor of Anambra State for their bold decision to support Tinubu. He urged south-east stakeholders to support the Tinubu administration so that other regions would reciprocate when it became the zone's turn to produce the president of the country. Umahi also welcomed civil society organisations that had indicated interest in monitoring the projects.
Umahi described the initiative of students requesting access to Federal Ministry of Works project sites across the six geopolitical zones as responsible leadership. He said the students had chosen to acquaint themselves with the projects rather than dwell on issues that would not add value to their future. The minister commended the students for rejecting logistics assistance offered by the ministry, insisting on unhindered access to the projects.
The federal government has expanded its four legacy road projects from about 700 kilometres to approximately 1,150 kilometres following a directive by President Tinubu. Umahi cited the Sokoto-Badagry corridor, which he put at 1,068 kilometres, and the Akwanga-Jos road, which he said was 135 kilometres and currently under construction. He listed other projects, including the 156km Gombe-Bauchi road and the 149km Bauchi-Jos road.
Umahi disclosed that the federal government was contributing 30 per cent of the funding for the legacy projects, while the remaining 70 per cent was being financed through foreign loans. He explained that the loans were predicated on tolling the roads on completion and using proceeds from the corridors to recover and repay the funds. The minister defended the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project against criticisms.
The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, which passes through several states in the Niger Delta region, was described by Umahi as important to the region and the national economy. He said a substantial portion of the corridor was located within the Niger Delta, passing through Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states. The project, according to him, would have a significant impact on the region's development.
Key points
- The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has urged the south-east region to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's 2027 re-election bid.
- The federal government has expanded its legacy road projects to approximately 1,150 kilometres.
- The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project has been defended against criticisms by Umahi.
