By Stella Odueme
The Minister of Works, Senator Engr. David Nweze Umahi, has urged Nigerians, particularly those from the Southeast, to acknowledge the infrastructure and development projects being undertaken by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Umahi made the call at the 10th anniversary celebration of De Pinnacle Club International, held at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre.
The Minister, who was honoured with an Award of Excellence in Public Service and Infrastructural Transformation, said political considerations should not prevent Nigerians from recognising ongoing development projects across the country.
“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,” he said in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Francis Nwaze, on Tuesday.
Umahi listed several federal infrastructure projects in the Southeast, including the Enugu–Onitsha Expressway, Enugu–Port Harcourt Expressway, Eke-Obinagu Flyover, New Artisan Bridge, access roads to the Second Niger Bridge, Enugu–Abakaliki Road and the Calabar–Ebonyi–Benue–Nasarawa–Abuja Superhighway.
According to him, the projects form part of a broader infrastructure programme being implemented across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
He explained that although the Second Niger Bridge had been completed before the Tinubu administration came into office, its full economic benefits could not be realised because of the poor condition of the access roads linking the bridge to Onitsha and Asaba.
“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,” Umahi said.
He disclosed that construction of the access roads had recorded significant progress, with the Anambra section about 40 per cent complete and the Asaba axis about 35 per cent complete.
The Minister also identified the Lagos–Shagamu corridor as an important route connecting travellers from Lagos through Ogun and Edo to Asaba and other parts of the country.
Umahi further highlighted the appointment of Southeastern Nigerians into strategic positions in the Tinubu administration, saying the development reflected the region’s participation in national governance.
“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 stated.
On the First Niger Bridge, Umahi said he became aware through social media that scrap scavengers were vandalising the structure by removing components, including bolts and expansion metals.
He said the Federal Government intervened and disclosed plans to install CCTV cameras and control points on the bridge to monitor activities and help prevent vandalism and accidents.
“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 commended De Pinnacle Club International for its contributions to youth empowerment, healthcare and community development in the Southeast.
He said the organisation’s initiatives, including support for young entrepreneurs and the construction of hospitals, demonstrated the role of private organisations in national development.
The anniversary celebration, themed “A Decade of Excellence, Legacy and Impact,” attracted prominent Nigerians, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Mrs. Bianca Ojukwu, Chief Dr. Obinna Iyiegbu, popularly known as Obi Cubana, Chief Sir Kenneth Ifekudu, OFR, Amb. Elijah Onyeagba and Chief Dr. Ifeanyi Okorie.
The organisers said Umahi’s Award of Excellence in Public Service and Infrastructural Transformation was presented in recognition of his contribution to Nigeria’s infrastructure development, including the adoption of concrete road technology, project accountability and accelerated execution of federal highway projects under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Receiving the award, Umahi commended the leadership and members of De Pinnacle Club International for sustaining a decade of unity, philanthropy and socio-economic contributions.
“True development cannot be left to the government alone. When clubs like De Pinnacle step in to build roads, award scholarships, and empower families with hundreds of millions of naira in seed capital, you are directly reinforcing the foundations of our national economy. You are demonstrating the true spirit of patriotism,” he said.
The Minister dedicated the award to President Tinubu and the engineers, contractors and other professionals involved in infrastructure development across the country.