Odita Sunday 
By Odita Sunday
Minister of Works, David Umahi, has urged people in the Southeast to look beyond political differences and acknowledge what he described as visible infrastructure gains under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Umahi made the call on October 4 while speaking at the 10th anniversary celebration of De Pinnacle Club International at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, where he was honoured with an Award of Excellence in Public Service and Infrastructural Transformation.
“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,” Umahi said.
The minister pointed to a number of road and bridge projects across the Southeast, including the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway, Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway, Eke-Obinagu Flyover, New Artisan Bridge, Enugu-Abakaliki Road and the access roads to the Second Niger Bridge.
He said the projects were part of a wider federal infrastructure programme being carried out across the country, rather than isolated interventions in the Southeast.
Umahi particularly highlighted the Second Niger Bridge, saying its completion alone was not enough to deliver the expected economic benefits because the roads connecting it to the Onitsha and Asaba ends were in poor condition.
“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.
According to him, work on the access roads is progressing, with the Anambra section about 40 per cent complete and the Asaba axis about 35 per cent complete.
Umahi also drew attention to the Lagos-Shagamu road, describing it as an important transport corridor for travellers moving from Lagos through Ogun and Edo to Asaba and other parts of the country.
The minister also linked the administration’s infrastructure programme to what he described as increased political inclusion of the Southeast.
He cited the appointment of prominent Southeasterners to strategic positions, saying the region now had what he described as stronger representation at the federal level.
“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,” he said.
On the First Niger Bridge, Umahi said he was alerted through social media to reports of vandalism by scrap scavengers allegedly removing parts of the bridge.
He said he immediately intervened with the support of President Tinubu and was considering the installation of CCTV cameras and control points to improve surveillance and prevent further vandalism.
“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.
Umahi also commended De Pinnacle Club International for what he described as a decade of contributions to communities in the Southeast, particularly in youth empowerment, healthcare and economic support.
The anniversary, themed “A Decade of Excellence, Legacy and Impact,” attracted personalities from politics, business and professional circles, including Minister of Foreign Affairs Bianca Ojukwu, businessman Obinna Iyiegbu, popularly known as Obi Cubana, Chief Sir Kenneth Ifekudu, Ambassador Elijah Onyeagba and Chief Dr Ifeanyi Okorie, among others.
The organisers said Umahi’s award was in recognition of his contribution to infrastructure development, including the adoption of concrete road technology, improved project accountability and accelerated execution of federal highway projects.
Accepting the award, Umahi said government alone could not shoulder the responsibility of developing the country, praising organisations such as De Pinnacle Club for supporting communities through infrastructure, scholarships and economic empowerment.
“True development cannot be left to the government alone,” he said.
The minister dedicated the honour to President Tinubu as well as the engineers, contractors and other professionals working on infrastructure projects across the country.
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