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From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has said Peter Obi should be told, in plain language, it was not yet the turn of the Igbo to produce the president of the country, warning the former governor of Anambra State not to endanger the people of South East with his presidential ambition.
This is even as the minister has revealed that the present administration inherited
2,068 ongoing projects, totaling ₦13 trillion before the removal of fuel subsidy and naira flotation.
Umahi stated these while speaking with newsmen during an inspection of the reconstruction work of the 56-kilometre stretch of the Aba, Abia State axis of the Enugu – Port Harcourt Expressway.
The works minister noted that President Tinubu, through the appointments and numerous projects his administration has embarked upon in the region since his assumption of office in 2023, has ended marginalisation of the southeast witnessed in previous administrations.
The minister, who equally assessed work at the Alaoji Railway overhead bridge and the Obehie axis, mentioned the ongoing projects in the region to include the Onitsha-Owerri and Enugu-Abakaliki corridors, which he said have proved the region is no longer marginalised.
“Unless we are not telling ourselves the truth, there is no more marginalisation in the Southeast,” Umahi stated.
“We have never had a minister of works from this region until now. It is time for the Southeast to be strategic and support President Tinubu. We should tell our brother, Peter Obi, that it is not yet our turn.”
Umahi, who stated that the southeast needs to bond with other regions of the country, added that the 2027 general election is a time that the Igbo should reciprocate the kind gestures of Mr. President to the people of the zone.
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“To have given Southeast the minister of works portfolio; we have never been minister of works and you can see the product and the intention and good heart of the president and, so, it is time for a payback. You all know the amount of work from Port Harcourt to Enugu, there is no section of this work that is not going on for completion.
“Never in the history of Nigeria have we benefited as such. I was a deputy governor and then governor for eight years. No single project came to that state; but, today, we can boast of a number of projects that are ongoing. We can boast of trillions of naira projects going on in the southeast like in other regions.
“The test legacy project of the President is in the southeast. We have a service chief; we have key appointments and a lot that is going on in the southeast under President Bola Tinubu. So, it is time to support the president; the people of the southeast should support President Bola Tinubu.
“We should not engage in sentiments. We should not engage in non-strategic moves. We should tell our brother, Peter Obi, that it is not yet our turn; when it is our turn, Nigerians and southeast people will know when it is our turn.
On the number of projects going on across the country, Umahi said, “We inherited 2,068 ongoing projects totaling ₦13 trillion before the removal of fuel subsidy and naira flotation.
“To ensure these jobs don’t stop, we have migrated contractors like Arab Contractors to the Sukuk fund. They have ₦2 billion to claim immediately, and with the 2025 budget allocations, they will have access to ₦4.7 billion by the end of this month.”
At the Obehie axis, handled by CCECC and indigenous firm JRB, the minister praised the performance of local contractors. He announced a shift in construction philosophy, introducing reinforced concrete pavement on the Port Harcourt-bound lane to ensure the road lasts at least 50 years.
“We are building roads, not just constructing them. JRB has been mobilised on emergency grounds to fast-track the remaining sections”.
The minister issued a firm directive to contractors handling the reconstruction of the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway, setting May 15, 2024, as the target date for the official commissioning of the Aba to Imo River axis by President Bola Tinubu.
Speaking on the recent public criticism of not being transparent, Umahi said, “They want me to be accountable, and I enjoy it, I am presiding over the funds of the Federation. If you have a petition, send it to the ICPC. Our projects are open for verification,” he said.
