By Jude Opara
A Chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Adolphous Ude, has dismissed claims by the Minister of Works, David Umahi, that the South-East is satisfied with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
In a statement issued yesterday, Ude argued that the South-East remains marginalised under President Tinubu’s government, insisting that there is little evidence of inclusive governance toward the region.
He pointed to the exclusion of the South-East from the Tinubu administration’s flagship infrastructure projects, particularly the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway and the Sokoto–Badagry Highway, both reportedly awarded to Hitech Construction Company Limited.
Ude questioned the minister’s assertion of inclusiveness, asking which long-standing grievances of the South-East had been addressed by the Tinubu administration, or what tangible benefits the Igbo people had received beyond what previous governments offered.
He also criticised the slow pace of road projects in the region, recalling that in January 2024, Umahi announced the commencement of the Ninth Mile–Enugu–Makurdi Highway. According to Ude, nearly two years later, sections of the Enugu axis within the South-East remain in a deplorable condition.
Ude’s comments come days after Umahi, while inspecting federal infrastructure projects in the South-East, attributed the narrative of marginalisation to agitation for Biafra. The minister also stated that the Igbo are now fully integrated into the nation’s mainstream and that the South-East is comfortable and satisfied with President Tinubu’s leadership.
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