…Urges Continued Support for President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope
Date: 1st August, 2026
By Abraham Ovuoba
The Minister of Works, Engineer David Nweze Umahi, has defended the Federal Government’s infrastructure loans as strategic investments aimed at driving national development and economic growth.
Umahi also urged residents of the South-East to continue supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda stressing that the region has benefited from unprecedented federal infrastructure investments.
The minister stated this on Friday at Onueke, Ezza South Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, during an inspection of ongoing construction works on the Calabar–Ebonyi–Benue–Nasarawa–Abuja Super Highway and the Amasiri–Uturu–Okigwe–Afikpo Federal Highway.
Defending the Federal Government’s decision to obtain loans for infrastructure development, the minister said the borrowings were targeted at productive projects rather than recurrent expenditure
He argued that developing nations rely on long-term financing to execute critical infrastructure, stressing that completed projects would enhance economic productivity for generations.
He maintained that infrastructure development remained a major strategy of the Tinubu administration to drive economic growth, create employment opportunities and improve connectivity across the country.
The minister described the Calabar–Ebonyi–Benue–Nasarawa–Abuja Super Highway as a transformative project that would significantly reduce travel time between the South-East and the Federal Capital Territory.
He disclosed that Section One of the highway covers about 125 kilometres, with more than 30 per cent of the alignment passing through communities in Ebonyi State, while Section Two spans approximately 168 kilometres from Ebonyi through Benue, Enugu and Kogi States before linking Abuja.
Speaking on political developments ahead of the 2027 general election, Umahi urged South-East residents to support President Tinubu’s re-election bid, saying continued support would ensure the completion of ongoing legacy projects.
He warned that changes in administration could affect the pace of ongoing infrastructure projects.
He said the Federal Government’s road infrastructure programme had created thousands of jobs, increased demand for locally produced cement and stimulated businesses involved in the supply of construction materials.
Umahi explained that the adoption of reinforced concrete pavement on major highways was aimed at improving road durability while supporting local industries through the use of locally sourced materials.
Umahi revealed that compensation processes for affected property owners in Ebonyi State were being reviewed before payment, while commending the state government under Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru for its cooperation during the enumeration exercise.
He further announced that strategic flyovers would be constructed at major traffic bottlenecks, including Onueke, Ishieke and other critical junctions, to complement the ongoing road expansion projects.
The minister also appealed to journalists to provide balanced reportage on federal infrastructure projects across the South-East, saying many Nigerians were unaware of the level of development taking place in the region.
“I am not asking you to report what we are are not doing. Report what we are doing so that the people of the South-East will know what the President is doing for them,” Umahi said, while maintaining that although he remained open to criticism, while advising Nigerians to continue in their acknowledgement in what he described as the administration’s achievements.
On the socio-economic challenges facing the country, Umahi urged Nigerians to remain patient with the administration, noting that decades of infrastructure deficits could not be reversed within a short period.
Also speaking during the inspection, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement (South-East), Barr. Chioma Nweze, commended the Federal Government for opening up previously inaccessible communities through road construction.
She also praised the Tinubu administration for ongoing road projects linking Ebonyi with Cross River, Enugu, Rivers and other parts of the South-East, describing the investments as unprecedented in the region.
The Project Manager of Infiouest International Limited, Engineer Mohammed Moustafa, confirmed that earthworks, soil stabilisation, and reinforced concrete pavement construction were progressing according to schedule.
