The Minister of Works, Mr David Umahi, says President Bola Tinubu has performed well for the South East region of Nigeria.
He made the remarks in defence of the President following accusations from some South East opposition leaders of regional marginalisation.
Speaking as a Minister directly involved in policy implementation, Mr. Umahi highlighted several infrastructural projects that the Tinubu administration is executing in the Southeast.
“The 17.5km connecting Second Niger Bridge bypass has been awarded to CGC and work is ongoing. The total cost of the project is 170 billion naira, 30% of which has been fully paid.
“The Enugu-Abakiliki dualised road has been awarded, with over 43 billion naira already paid of the 183 billion total cost for 118km. This is what the President is doing for us,” he added.
He also mentioned the Owerri-Onitsha road, awarded to CGC and currently ongoing, and the long-delayed Enugu-Onitsha road.
“The Enugu-Onitsha project, ongoing for the past 20 years, has been put to rest by President Bola Tinubu. The first section is under MTN tax credit, costing 202 billion naira, while the remaining 72km is being handled by SKCC at 150 billion naira, 30% fully paid,” Mr. Umahi said.
The Works Minister further cited the appointment of a South Easterner as Chief of Naval Staff and the establishment of an army depot in Abia State as evidence of inclusiveness under the Tinubu administration.
He called on critics to adopt constructive criticism, advising that the cyberbullying act be applied where necessary.
Mr. Umahi also urged Southeast citizens to reject narratives of exclusion and Biafra agitations, emphasising national unity. “This country belongs to all of us. No one is a stranger. We all have equal rights,” he stated.
On the Ministry’s strategies for better infrastructure delivery, Mr. Umahi noted that supervision has been a key focus.
“We discovered that supervision is a key factor in project delivery, so we have platforms across all six geopolitical zones. Every day, progress reports on what the contractor has achieved must be submitted,” he explained.
Mr. Umahi stated that 80 media supervisors have also been deployed to support oversight.
The Works Minister also highlighted a mentorship programme for civil engineers, initiated under the president’s directive. “We have started a programme called the President Bola Tinubu Mentorship Programme. We advertised and are selecting the best 10 civil engineers in each state, deploying them to the president’s legacy projects and other key initiatives so they can learn the technology,” he said.
According to Mr. Umahi, the plan is for the engineers to establish small startup businesses at the completion of the projects.
PIAK