The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has said President Bola Tinubu has ended the decades-long marginalisation of the South-East region in Nigeria.
Umahi made the remarks over the weekend at a civic reception in his honour, organised by the Okposi Okwu community in Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State. The community recognised the minister for his contributions to social harmony, economic empowerment, and infrastructural development.
The South-East, one of Nigeria’s three major ethnic regions, has often complained of underrepresentation in national politics and federal infrastructure projects. The region has long maintained that successive governments neglected its needs, reinforcing a sense of exclusion.
However, in a statement issued by his spokesperson, Uchenna Orji, Umahi commended President Tinubu for what he described as a historic shift in the federal government’s approach to the region.
“The Minister thanked the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for breaking the jinx of marginalisation in the South-East through equitable distribution of democratic dividends across the six geopolitical zones,” the statement read.
Umahi pointed to his own appointment as the first South-Easterner to head the Ministry of Works since Nigeria’s independence as a significant milestone. He also cited the president’s road infrastructure interventions in the region and urged the people of the South-East to show their appreciation in the 2027 general elections.
The event drew high-profile attendees, including the Governors of Ebonyi, Enugu, and Ogun States—Francis Nwifuru, Peter Mbah, and Dapo Abiodun, respectively. Others present were former Senate President Pius Anyim; former Governors Martin Elechi and Olusegun Osoba; APC South-East National Vice Chairman, Chief Emma Enukwu; and representatives of the Governors of Anambra, Abia, and Imo States.
Also in attendance were National Assembly members, Deputy Governors, former Senators and Ministers, and top officials from the Federal Ministry of Works, including the Minister of State for Works, Bello Goronyo, and Permanent Secretary, Olufunso Adebiyi.
Expressing gratitude, Umahi described the reception as a humbling gesture and thanked the community and guests for their support and kind words.
In separate remarks, Governors Nwifuru, Mbah, and Abiodun praised Umahi as a national asset with a strong record of service and competence. They described his appointment as a strategic move by the president to tackle Nigeria’s infrastructure challenges effectively.
The chairman of the occasion noted that the honour was a recognition of Umahi’s excellence in public service, describing his leadership journey as one marked by resourcefulness and impactful stewardship.
Edited by Nzubechukwu Eze
