Tinubu Treating South-East Fairly on Infrastructure – Umahi

Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, has dismissed claims that the South-East has been excluded from major road and infrastructure projects under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, describing such reports as “misleading and deceptive.”

Reacting to a viral social media post titled “The Politics of Asphalt: Why is the South-East missing from the map?” by Mr. Linus Anagboso, Umahi accused some individuals of deliberately twisting facts to incite the public.

He said the Tinubu administration has fairly distributed projects across the six geopolitical zones, with the South-East prominently captured in the third Legacy Project — the Cross River–Ebonyi–Benue–Kogi–Nasarawa–Abuja highway, covering 465km x 2, of which 231.64km x 2 and 231.64km x 1 fall within the South-East at a cost of ₦445.8 billion.

According to Umahi, ₦108 billion has already been paid for the project, which was reviewed at the July 31, 2025 Federal Executive Council meeting to extend coverage from 118km to 231.64km.

“Under President Tinubu, 90% of abandoned projects, some dating back to 2013, have been revived and are now ongoing. The South-East is receiving the same fair treatment as other regions,” Umahi stated.

He listed other ongoing projects in the region, including:

• 2nd Niger Bridge access roads – ₦146bn (Delta) and ₦176bn (Anambra)
• Enugu–Onitsha Road – ₦202bn (MTN Tax Credit) and ₦150bn (CBC), with ₦45bn released last week
• Enugu–Port Harcourt Road (four sections)
• Enugu–Abakaliki Road
• Afikpo–Abia–Imo Road
• Onitsha–Owerri–Aba Road
• Aba–Ikot Ekpene Road
• Umuahia–Ikot Ekpene Road

Umahi urged South-East residents to support President Tinubu and the zone’s governors, stressing that unity, rather than “politics of hate and misinformation,” will help the region achieve the presidency in the future.