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Chief Modestus Umenzekwe, a Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in this interview, urged President Bola Tinubu to ensure the implementation of the Renewed Hope Agenda even as he enjoined Nigerians to support the Minister of Works for insisting on concrete technology in the construction of roads.
Do you agree with Senator Dave Umahi, the Honourable Minster of Works on the use of concrete Technology for road constructions in Nigeria? His position, does it amount to indictment on previous administrations?
Mark you this interview is not to compare two members of a particular family, by family I mean APC. So, there is no way I can start comparing two members of a family because APC has a programme they are following and that programme is being built upon every time every administration comes on board, that is why we called this one, Renewed Hope, so whatever we are doing now is what we consider improvement upon how we have been doing it. So the same programme is still running, and on that I tell you that I support the idea and the President has approved it, that is much I can tell you.
It appears the President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu appointed Umahi based on what he did in Ebonyi; do you agree with this assertion?
You see, Umahi’s achievements in various sectors of the economy when he was governor of Ebonyi State are unprecedented and unmatched, through his managerial perspicacity he ensured that communities, town unions, local government areas felt the impact of his government.
Umahi did a lot, but he did more in road constructions. The newly built Muhammadu Buhari International Airport in Ebonyi State located in Onueke along the Abakaliki/Afikpo Expressway, was constructed by His Excellency, Dave Umahi. He did two dual carriageway fly-overs at the African Trans-Sahara Highway; he did the Governors’ Lodge, which was named after the first civilian governor of the state, Senator Sam Egwu; he did the CBN Road at the Centenary City.
Umahi’s Government did Amasiri–Uburu –Okposi Road for Ebonyi South; Nkalagu–Ehamufu Road for Ebonyi Central; Hill-top –Nwofe Road for Ebonyi North. This is what he said he would do if elected and he did it. He built 15-kilometre road for each of the 13 local government areas in the state, so the president must have appointed Umahi as Minster of Works because he is a road-master.
Umahi’s administration constructed three fly-over bridges in the state capital, and a pedestrian-crossing, nobody has done that since Ebonyi State was created. The pedestrian-crossing at the gate of the permanent site of the Ebonyi State University Abakaliki–Enugu Expressway was also done by him.
If I begin to reel out the roads he did in Ebonyi before leaving office, you would marvel. He rehabilitated Water Works Road, Ogoja–Onuebonyi–Rice Mill Road, Gunning Road, New Market Road, Nkaliki–EBBC–EBHA–Abakaliki LGA Road, Hosanna Park, Hosanna Street, Ezika Street (Yam market), Old Park, Jos Street, Obiri Street, Nwodo Street, Mberi Street, Awolowo Street, among others.
The legal battle over the presidential election is over, what should the president do now as the father of the nation?
Tinubu should extend hands of fellowship to his opponents; I know he has done that.
Beyond that is for him to ensure the holistic implementation of the Renewed Hope agenda of the party: National unity, economy, agriculture, power oil and gas, sports, entertainment and culture, youth empowerment and entrepreneurship, women empowerment, federalism and decentralization of power, education, digital economy, power, transportation, judicial reforms, among others.
In writing the Forward to the Agenda of the Renewed Hope, the President, His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu said, I am quoting him now, “We shall build a Nigeria, especially for our youth, where sufficient jobs with decent wages create a better life. Manufacture, create, and invent more of the goods and services we require. Nigeria shall be known as a nation of creators, not just of consumers. Export more and import less, strengthening both the Naira and our way of life. Continue assisting our ever toiling farmers, through enlightened agricultural policy that promotes productivity and assures decent incomes, so that farmers can support their families and feed the nation.
Modernise and expand public infrastructure so that the rest of the economy can grow at an optimal rate. Embolden and support our young people and women by harnessing emerging sectors such as the digital economy, entertainment and culture, tourism and others to build the Nigeria of tomorrow, today. Train and give economic opportunity to the poorest and most vulnerable among us. We seek a Nigeria where no parent is compelled to send a child to bed hungry, worried whether tomorrow shall bring food. Generate, transmit and distribute sufficient, affordable electricity to give our people the requisite power to enlighten their lives, their homes, and their very dreams. Make basic healthcare, education, and housing accessible and affordable for all. And, most importantly, establish a bold and assertive policy that will create the strong yet adaptive national security architecture and action to obliterate terror, kidnapping, banditry, and all other forms of violent extremism from the face of our nation. But much more interesting to me is when he said I welcome your inputs and critiques as we prepare to govern Nigeria with fairness, equity and justice. Tinubu is a political giant, as I normally say, he is a colossus.
The president as the Minister of Petroleum should wade into the oil sector and find out what is going on there; he should revamp the sector, bring in his own close persons, those who will tell him the truth about that sector. Oil is the life wire of Nigeria; and you can testify, ever since the subsidy on petroleum was removed, the country has never remained the same. So that is to show you the significance of that sector.
I also have a suggestion to make; the president should see how each state can build at least one refinery in their states, or at least a modular one, there is nothing wrong about that. The period of politics is over, now is time for agenda setting, and all of us, whether APC, PDP, Labour, everybody must come out, make suggestions on how to move the country forward, and I plead with the president to carry everybody along, run an inclusive government and by so doing, we surely will succeed.
More than ever before, Igbo leaders have shown interest in the clamour for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, what is your take?
I support the move to seek his release, and I think our ever listening President, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, will listen to them. So, if it is settled out of court, it is still better. We are not saying this person is right now or this person is wrong but he should be released.
The war between Israel and Hamas what is your take?
War does no one any good because in the end, everything will come back to the table for discussion, so why fighting when you have the table for dialogue? People fight because of ego. I blame Hamas for killing innocent citizens, 1400 Jews, it is dastardly. You don’t have right to kill armless people. Then Israel has the right to retaliate, because after the killing of innocent Israelis, nobody has expected them to fold their hands and say, thank you Hamas for what you have done.
However, I call on Israel to calm down for the sake of innocent Palestinians who are neither supporting Hamas nor even aware of the agitation of Hamas. There are many like that, the aged, the young ones, even there are youths who prefer going about their business, those who distance themselves from the struggle, I think it is time to separate Hamas from other innocent Palestinians.
