Nkechinyere Ewa
The Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has reiterated his position that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has given Ndigbo the “Biafra” they have long sought through inclusive governance and full participation in national politics, even as he described 2026 as a year of restoration.
Umahi, in his New Year message, said the worst period of Nigeria’s nationhood is over, attributing the progress to the robust economic policies of the Tinubu administration. He expressed optimism that the coming year would witness a massive turnaround across all sectors of the economy.
He urged the people of the South East to remain steadfast in their support for President Tinubu’s re-election, describing the President as a consolation to Ndigbo after years of neglect and marginalisation.
The former Ebonyi State governor said the region must correct what he described as the mistake of the 2023 general election by voting massively and speaking with one voice in support of Tinubu in 2027, whom he said has addressed the long-standing marginalisation of the South East by successive administrations. “Our people will never make the mistake of 2023 again. We shall remain resolute and stand strongly together behind Mr President in the 2027 election. Ndigbo will not be deceived again by marauding politicians with sugar-coated mouths,” Umahi said.
He added that although some individuals have indicated interest in contesting the 2027 presidential election, Tinubu remains the candidate to support. “President Tinubu will be on the ballot, and once he is on the ballot, all the governors of the South East are also on the ballot. I, the Minister of Works, am equally on the ballot because it is in our collective interest to support a President who has reopened our chapter and is massively investing in our future. Indeed, the Biafra is here,” he stated.
Umahi called for social re-engineering and the de-radicalisation of remaining aggrieved minds, stressing that the Biafra Ndigbo fought for and continue to seek has been realised through national integration, inclusion, and equal participation in national development.
On infrastructure, the Minister assured that all federal road projects currently ongoing across the country are receiving adequate funding and close supervision, noting that many of them would be completed within record time and according to specifications.
He further disclosed that a special task force would be constituted to enforce the directive prohibiting trucks from parking on federal highways. According to him, the Ministry of Works will collaborate with security agencies to ensure safer highways, especially for travellers returning to their destinations after the yuletide.