Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, has dismissed allegations that the South-East and North-West regions are being marginalised under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, describing such claims as political and unfounded.
Umahi said the current government has shown fairness to all parts of the country, particularly in the distribution of infrastructure projects and key appointments. According to him, both the South-East and North-West have witnessed unprecedented development since Tinubu assumed office.
“President Tinubu is working for every region,” Umahi said. “When the Director-General of the Budget Office reviewed national infrastructure projects, the North-West received three or four times more than the South-East and North-East. The South-East never had such attention before.”
The former Ebonyi State governor explained that while the South-East might not have secured as many political appointments as expected, the region has benefited from major federal projects that had long been denied in previous administrations.
“We may not have everything we want, but what we have gained in infrastructure is far more valuable. The South-East has moved from neglect to progress,” he stated.
Umahi also linked the region’s political apathy in the 2023 general elections to years of neglect, the naira redesign crisis, and fuel scarcity, adding that the current administration has addressed many of those concerns.
He further highlighted major road projects in the North-West, including the dualization of the Sokoto–Zamfara–Katsina–Kaduna highway, the Abuja–Kano expressway, and the Kano–Jigawa road, as evidence of the president’s balanced approach to national development.
“These projects show that every region is being carried along. The North-West deserves attention because they supported the president strongly in 2023, my duty is to ensure these projects are substantially completed before 2027,” Umahi added.
