The Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi has urged the people of South East zone to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu re-election in 2027 presidential election to complete ongoing projects across the zone.
Umahi who said that by November this year Enugu-Port Harcourt, Enugu- Onitsha section of the road will be completed while by December this year Enugu- Abakaliki dualized section of the road will be completed.
The minister who stated this during inspection of road projects and Ndibe beach flyover that connect Afikpo town in Ebonyi State and Cross River State, saying the Ndibe beach bridge had been used as campaign promises over the years which President Tinubu is presently tackling.
“So let me commend the contractor very, very highly. I’m sure, very, very sure that before May next year, by God’s special grace, we’ll be passing this bridge. But I have a message for the Afikpo people.
“Last time they didn’t vote for APC. If they want this bridge, it’s not a threat, it’s a reality. If they want the bridge to be completed, I will require 100 percent of the votes.
“I’m not asking for 99, 100 percent of the votes. Because even if you produce a senator and he goes to the senate 100 times, he cannot afford to build this road. Only President Bola Ahmed Tinubu can build this road and build these bridges.
“This past government, past politicians have been using this bridge as a campaign promises. But the president never promised anybody that he’s doing it. And so he deserves, your votes, he’s not going to be begging for our votes.
“We have to beg him to collect our votes because he has done what no other person will do. Even if a president comes from Southeast, unless somebody like me who has courage, you know, also, nobody can do what President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is doing for the people of Southeast. So let’s forget about all the sentiments.
“You know, we are not voting any other person other than President Bola in the Southeast. Because we have to vote for him to complete all the projects he has started. So let nobody think that if you don’t vote for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that, he will be clapping for us and then he will be completing all the projects.
“A man that is doing all these things, why you didn’t vote for him? So why don’t you encourage him by voting for him this time around? So, and I’ve always said, if you want us to debate, that the Biafra we are looking for is here. I’m ready for the debate. Our people must be strategic, our people must be wise, our people must read between lines and know that this President will still win.
“Because it is God that brought him to do all these things that he is doing. No one else has ever attempted it in the past. And this road you are seeing, you can see we came from the town, in the Eke market.
“And so, what we are planning to do is to bypass the Afikpo town. You know, to bypass the town. This section of Ndibe here, of the Eke market will still be done.
“But I need the cooperation of the Afikpo people, and I’m saying it. I’m not begging for it, I’m demanding it. We need their cooperation so that we can tidy up that section.
“And they will do a beautiful bypass, dualised, all the way from this section and then get to Timber shade where we are putting the flyover. And we use the ongoing flyover to ensure that the interchange resolves the traffic conflict there. So, I’m very enthused with what the President is doing.
“There is another major project, which is running from the Timbers shade. Of course, that’s been done locally, but it’s going to be expanded. But from that flyover at Amasri, you see what the Dangote tax credit is doing.
“And that project is about 65 kilometres. We’re taking one carriageway, 12 metres, down to Okigwe, and then another 5 kilometres of the second carriageway. Then, after that, we will now procure the remaining carriageway.
“And so, what else are we looking for? What else are we looking for? So, I’m very enthused and all gratitude to God Almighty and deep appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu You know, don’t listen to all these juggles, because people that have had the opportunity to rule and you go and see their route, it’s like a matchbox. And then, they’re telling us stories.
“Is it not the one we are seeing that we should believe? So, these projects in South East will be completed. They will continue and be completed. But I’m begging our people to be wise.
“You know, we need to be wise. We need to be strategic. You know, to vote for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, so that we can complete all these projects and then move.
“This project is taking off from Amasiri, which is in Afikpo local government area. And it’s going to Abia State. That’s Uturu-Okigwe.
“And then it will end in Okigwe. And the project is 61 kilometre single carriageway plus another 5 kilometre second carriageway. So there will be another second carriageway, you know, by this side.
“And that will be phase one. The total contract sum is $193 billion, under Dangote tax credit scheme. And so, which means that we still have about, y 61 minus 5, that will be another 56 kilometres.
“That will be phase two. You recall that for the past three years, nobody was able to follow this route. In fact, it was totally abandoned.
And when I was going through it with some consultants, it was impossible to pass. We had gullies, you know, within the carriageway of 4 to 5, 6 metres. So total and terrible failure on the entire stretch.
So what Dangote is to hire high-tech construction to work for them. High-tech is expecting their usual quality of work and speed. But I’m asking them to, you know, transfer the speed of the Costal Highway or the Sokoto-Badagery
” I use the same opportunity to ask our leaders to come out and speak out, because we shouted marginalisation, but now that we are not marginalised by the President, let me tell you, there’s no other ministry in this administration that is as big as Ministry of Works, and it’s being handled by an Igbo man, so what a trust, and without the Ministry of Works being an Igbo man, maybe we have some projects, but it will not be this magnitude.
“So I think that the President is very strategic, in getting South East people to the mainstream of Nigerian politics, and so we have to be wise, when else would we have been able to do this? It’s totally impossible, you know, so my heart goes to the President” Umahi stated.
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