By Prevail Inegbenose
Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has urged people of the Southeast to acknowledge and appreciate what he described as significant infrastructure and development strides recorded in the region under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
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Umahi made the call on Sunday at the 10th anniversary celebration of De Pinnacle Club International, held at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, where he was honoured with an Award of Excellence in Public Service and Infrastructural Transformation.
Speaking at the event organised under the leadership of Chief Sir David Nwosu, the minister said political sentiments should not prevent Nigerians, particularly those from the Southeast, from recognising visible infrastructure projects being executed across the region.
“We shouldn’t live in denial. We have to appreciate President Bola Ahmed Tinubu; even God Almighty appreciates gratitude. It doesn’t stop us from asking for more,” Umahi said.
He said the Southeast had witnessed major federal infrastructure interventions under the Tinubu administration, citing the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway, Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway, Eke-Obinagu Flyover, New Artisan Bridge, Second Niger Bridge access roads, Enugu-Abakaliki Road and the Calabar-Ebonyi-Benue-Nasarawa-Abuja Superhighway, among others.
According to him, the projects demonstrate that infrastructure development in the Southeast is being pursued as part of a broader national programme covering all six geopolitical zones.
Umahi particularly highlighted the ongoing construction of access roads to the Second Niger Bridge, noting that although the bridge itself had been completed before Tinubu assumed office, its full economic potential was constrained by the poor condition of connecting roads.
“We had the Second Niger Bridge fully completed before President Tinubu came into office, but the means of fully utilising the bridge, which is the access roads, was bad. So we are now building the access roads,” he said.
He disclosed that the Anambra section of the access road was about 40 per cent complete, while the Asaba axis had reached about 35 per cent completion.
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The minister also cited the Lagos-Shagamu corridor as an important link for people travelling from the Southwest through Ogun and Edo to Asaba and other parts of the Southeast.
Umahi further said the Southeast had gained greater representation in strategic positions under the Tinubu administration, describing the appointments of prominent indigenes of the region as evidence of its inclusion in the national development agenda.
“We have never had it like this with other administrations. Today, Ndi-Igbo have a Chief of Air Force, the first Minister of Foreign Affairs and the first Minister of Works,” he said.
He also disclosed that his attention was drawn through social media to the vandalism of the First Niger Bridge by scrap scavengers, prompting immediate intervention.
According to him, plans are underway to install CCTV cameras and control points on the bridge, similar to the monitoring system on Lagos’ Third Mainland Bridge, to tackle vandalism and improve safety.
Beyond infrastructure, Umahi commended De Pinnacle Club International for its contributions to youth empowerment, healthcare and community development in the Southeast.
“I have seen some of the things you do, helping young men and women from the Southeast establish themselves, building hospitals, and that is what humanity is all about,” he said.
The anniversary, themed “A Decade of Excellence, Legacy and Impact,” attracted prominent Nigerians, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Ojukwu, businessman Obinna Iyiegbu, popularly known as Obi Cubana, Chief Sir Kenneth Ifekudu, Amb. Elijah Onyeagba and Chief Dr. Ifeanyi Okorie.
The organisers said Umahi’s award recognised his commitment to infrastructure development through durable concrete road technology, improved project accountability and accelerated execution of federal highway projects under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
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Accepting the award, Umahi commended the club for sustaining a decade of unity, philanthropy and socio-economic contributions, stressing that development should not be left to government alone.
He dedicated the honour to President Tinubu and the engineers, contractors and other professionals working on infrastructure projects across the country.