Umahi: Political Sentiments Shouldn’t Blind Nigerians to Tinubu’s Achievements
The Minister of Works, Senator David Nweze Umahi, CON, has urged Nigerians, particularly people of the Southeast, to acknowledge and appreciate what he described as significant infrastructure and development achievements recorded under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
Umahi made the call on October 4 while speaking at the 10th anniversary celebration of De Pinnacle Club International, held at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja.
The event, organised under the leadership of Chief Sir David Nwosu, brought together prominent Nigerians from the Southeast, including politicians, entrepreneurs, business leaders and professionals.
The Minister was honoured at the event with an Award of Excellence in Public Service and Infrastructural Transformation for his contributions to Nigeria’s infrastructure development.
Umahi said political differences should not prevent Nigerians from recognising tangible projects being executed by the Tinubu administration across the country.
“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,” he said.
The Minister highlighted several federal infrastructure projects in the Southeast, including 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.
According to Umahi, the projects form part of a broader infrastructure development programme being implemented by the Federal Government across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
He specifically explained that although the Second Niger Bridge had been completed before the Tinubu administration came into office, its full economic benefits could not be realised because of the poor condition of the connecting access 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.
Umahi disclosed that construction of the access roads was progressing, with the Anambra section about 40 per cent complete and the Asaba axis approximately 35 per cent complete.
He also highlighted the importance of the Lagos–Shagamu road, describing it as a critical transportation link for Nigerians travelling from Lagos through Ogun and Edo to Asaba and other parts of the country.
The Minister further said the Tinubu administration had demonstrated what he described as greater inclusion of the Southeast in national leadership through the appointment of prominent Southeasterners into strategic positions.
“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,” Umahi stated.
He said the appointments, alongside the infrastructure projects being executed in the region, demonstrated the integration of the Southeast into the Federal Government’s national development agenda.
Umahi also disclosed that he was alerted through social media to the vandalism of the First Niger Bridge, where scrap scavengers were allegedly removing components, including nuts and expansion metals.
According to him, he immediately intervened, with the directive and support of President Tinubu.
He said plans were underway to install a modern surveillance system on the bridge, similar to the monitoring arrangement on Lagos’ Third Mainland Bridge.
“I saw through social media that the First Niger Bridge was being destroyed by scrap sellers, the nuts and expansion metal. We took action and the project is hitting its milestones. I will design the First Niger Bridge like the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos, with CCTV cameras and control points to fish out these vandals and control accidents,” he said.
The Minister commended De Pinnacle Club International for its 10 years of service, philanthropy and community development, particularly its contributions to youth empowerment, healthcare and economic support across 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,” Umahi said.
The anniversary, themed “A Decade of Excellence, Legacy and Impact,” attracted prominent personalities, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Mrs. Bianca Ojukwu; businessman and entrepreneur, Chief Dr. Obinna Iyiegbu, popularly known as Obi Cubana; Chief Sir Kenneth Ifekudu, OFR; Amb. Elijah Onyeagba; Chief Dr. Ifeanyi Okorie, among others.
A major highlight of the celebration was the presentation of the Award of Excellence in Public Service and Infrastructural Transformation to Umahi.
The organisers said the award recognised the Minister’s commitment to transforming Nigeria’s infrastructure through the adoption of durable concrete road technology, improved project accountability and accelerated execution of federal highway projects under the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
In his acceptance speech, Umahi commended the leadership and members of De Pinnacle Club International for sustaining a decade of unity, philanthropy and socio-economic contributions.
He said development should not be left entirely to government, noting that private organisations and community groups also have important roles to play.
“True development cannot be left to the government alone. When clubs like De Pinnacle step in to build roads, award scholarships, and empower families with hundreds of millions of naira in seed capital, you are directly reinforcing the foundations of our national economy. You are demonstrating the true spirit of patriotism,” he said.
Umahi dedicated the award to President Tinubu and to the engineers, contractors and other professionals contributing to infrastructure development across Nigeria.
