AfriPulse
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has reiterated his claim that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has fulfilled the long-standing aspirations of the Igbo people by granting them full inclusion in Nigeria’s political and developmental framework.
He described 2026 as a “year of restoration” for the South-East, urging the region to rally behind the President’s re-election bid.
Delivering his New Year message on Wednesday, Umahi praised the administration’s economic policies and predicted a nationwide turnaround across sectors in the coming year. He argued that Tinubu’s leadership had corrected decades of neglect and marginalisation of the South-East, insisting that the region must not repeat what he termed the “mistake” of the 2023 elections.
“Our people will never make the mistake of 2023. We shall remain resolute and stand strongly together behind Mr President in the 2027 general election,” Umahi said.
The minister dismissed rival political ambitions within the region, stressing that Tinubu’s candidacy in 2027 would represent the collective interest of the South-East. He urged Ndigbo to embrace “social re-engineering and deradicalisation,” asserting that the Biafra once sought through secession had now been achieved through national integration.
This marks the second time in two weeks Umahi has advanced the claim. On December 14, he called on Igbos worldwide to abandon separatist agitations, arguing that Tinubu’s administration had addressed historical grievances through appointments, policy inclusion, and infrastructure priorities.
During an inspection of projects along the Enugu–Anambra Road, Umahi said the push for secession had stemmed from exclusion and underrepresentation, but that the current administration had “deliberately opened the doors of national development to the South-East.” He cited his own appointment as Minister of Works and other key Igbo appointments as evidence of balanced representation.
Umahi assured that federal road projects nationwide were receiving adequate funding and supervision, promising timely completion in line with specifications. He announced plans for a special task force to enforce the ban on trucks parking along federal highways, pledging collaboration with security agencies to ensure safe travel during the post-holiday period.
Source: RipplesNigeria | Read the Full Story…
