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By Romanus Ugwu
The Presidency has lamented the unfair criticisms against the President Bola Tinubu-led government in executing projects in the South East geopolitical zone, claiming that he has done several landmark infrastructural projects in the zone.
Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, expressed disappointment in Ebonyi State during the ongoing Renewed Hope Media team inspection of Federal Government projects in the South East zone.
He maintained that considering the projects executed by the President Tinubu-led government in the zone, in addition to the over 14 others by the Ebonyi State government, it will be unfair for critics to claim that he did not make any impact in the zone.
“Judging by the projects we inspected on Saturday, it will be unfair for critics to claim that President Tinubu abandoned the zone. We have passed the stage of judging fairness in the criticism against the president. It is now about hard evidence and concrete data.
“That is why we embarked on this tour to showcase what has been done because they said that seeing is believing. Governance is about evidence and the evidential processes have shown clearly that the Federal Government is delivering.
“The Minister of Works, David Umahi provided all the evidence of the ongoing federal government projects in Ebonyi. He gave the details about the six federal government projects on ground. We have equally seen the numbers the state governor is executing too.
“I also know that we will always have doubters and people who will trend negative stories, but nothing can stand against facts and data. This administration will use data and facts to prove our performances,” Dare said.
The Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the President, Bayo Onanuga, argued that the fact that the funds from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) has stopped the state governors from taking bank loans to execute projects has confirmed that he has done well.
“We have seen the landmark projects the state government is executing and it is a reflection that all the funds the federal government is giving the states are deployed into productivity. After collecting FAAC, we can see that the State governments are considering and undertaking projects that would have been impossible before now.”
“Many of them don’t have to go to the banks to borrow money to develop their states in education, health, infrastructure, among others. The President is actually doing well especially in the area of road infrastructure which has never happened in this country.
“Look at the trans-Sahara roads conceived during the colonial era that he is audaciously embarking on now. He thinks deep before implementation. He is a thinker and a doer considering what we are seeing in every part of the country,” Onanuga noted.
Meanwhile, Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, has stated that several road projects for the South East region, originally conceived during the colonial era but left unrealised for decades, are now being brought to life under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Speaking on Saturday in Ebonyi State while conducting senior journalists and government officials on a tour of the administration’s legacy projects, Senator Umahi—former Governor of Ebonyi State—highlighted the Calabar-Ebonyi-Benue Trans-Saharan Superhighway as a project of strategic importance to the South East, South South, and parts of the North Central region.
“It is a colonial-era dream long forgotten, but President Tinubu has revived it, and construction is now underway. We must thank him immensely,” he said
The minister reported steady progress on the project, noting that Section One, initially 118 kilometres, has been extended to 123.6 kilometres, with a contract sum of ₦45 billion, and that dualisation works are ongoing.
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According to Umahi, Section Two, which runs from the Aboadi border through Benue and Kogi States to Nasarawa, has also been awarded at a cost of ₦668 billion.
He noted that the project has reached about 28% completion in some areas, with work continuing even during the rainy season, thanks to President Tinubu’s adoption of concrete road technology.
“The Trans‑Sahara Superhighway is not just a road; it is an investment corridor that will catalyse trade in agricultural produce like cassava, yams, cashews, and palm oil from Cross River, Benue and Ebonyi, while also connecting Nigeria to Cameroon.”
Umahi explained that the concrete road technology pioneered by President Tinubu as governor is now being deployed nationwide.
He expressed the gratitude of the South East to the President for ending decades of exclusion, stating, “All our forefathers sought—inclusiveness—we have it now.”
During the tour, the team, including acting Federal Controller in Ebonyi State, Maxwell Okoh, and Mohammed Mustafa, Project Manager of Infiouest International Limited (the contractor for the Calabar-Abuja Trans-Sahara Superhighway), inspected critical bridges in Section One and the concrete pavement on the Onueke section. They also inspected the 1.3-kilometre Ndi-Egbe Bridge in Afikpo LGA, Ebonyi, which links Ugep in Cross River State and is expected to be completed by December 2026.
On the Onueke Flyover in Ebonyi’s Central Senatorial District, Umahi noted that the ₦35 billion project is designed to decongest the highway. The flyover stands 90 metres high and is flanked by a 2.2-kilometre road on both sides.
He explained that Section Two of the Superhighway, awarded to Infiouest International Limited, runs from the Ebonyi border through Benue and Kogi to the Loko-Oweto Bridge in Nasarawa State, covering 123.6 kilometres.
The team also inspected the completed concrete pavement link road between Ebonyi and Cross River States, particularly from Okposi-Ukawu in Oha-Zara Local Government of Ebonyi and Ugwulangu-Abaomege in UGEP Ugep Local Government of Cross River State.
Governor Francis Nwifuru has declared that his state remains the safest in Nigeria, with no reported kidnapping cases since he assumed office.
While receiving the media delegation in Abakaliki, Governor Nwifuru thanked President Tinubu for his commitment to infrastructure development in the South East, especially in Ebonyi, and for his national renewal programme. He also highlighted numerous completed and ongoing projects in the state, including rural roads, primary health centres, and water schemes.
“We have kept contractors busy in the state with projects spread across every local government area, from rural roads to primary health centres and water schemes. We do not even view the road projects as a big deal because we have road projects scattered all over the state.”
South East governors and leaders are scheduled to converge on Abakaliki today at a mammoth rally to endorse President Tinubu for a second term in office.
South East governors and leaders are scheduled to converge in Abakaliki on Monday at a major rally to endorse President Tinubu for a second term. Umahi said Governor Nwifuru would lead the people of Ebonyi State at the rally to show appreciation to President Tinubu. He urged Ebonyi citizens to ignore the ranting of opposition politicians who cannot match President Tinubu’s record.
The National Media Tour is organised by the Governor Hope Uzodimma-led Renewed Hope Ambassadors, in collaboration with the Presidential Media Team.
From Ebonyi, the team will proceed to Enugu State today, and later to Abia, Anambra and Imo states to inspect the projects undertaken under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
