Presidency: Not yet South-East’s turn in 2027 – Umahi

Minister of Works, David Umahi, has said that the South-East portion indispensable workout patience successful its quest for Nigeria’s presidency, declaring that it is not yet its crook to nutrient the country’s adjacent leader.

Umahi stated this successful an interrogation with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) connected Sunday successful Abuja.

He emphasised the request for governmental fairness and continuity successful 2027, referencing the bully works that President Bola Tinubu had been doing since his presumption of bureau successful 2023.

“No, it is not our time; it is not the clip of South-East yet. We, the 17 Southern governors, went to Asaba earlier 2023, and we went to say, listen, it doesn’t substance the governmental party, but the adjacent president should travel from the South.

“All of america tried, but the crown came upon President Bola Tinubu. He is from the South, and so, it is incorrect for the Southeast to travel and say, Oh, it is their turn.

“No, helium (Tinubu) has to decorativeness the 8 years. The 8 years helium took is for each of us, some the South and the North. So helium has to finish, and erstwhile helium has finished successful 2031, the south-east tin present vie, successful the consciousness that they person ne'er tasted the presumption before.

“The North-East excessively tin vie successful the consciousness that they person not tasted the presumption before. I judge powerfully that erstwhile equity and fairness are established, equity and rotation volition go a happening of joy.

“So for me, it is not the clip (of the south-east). And erstwhile the clip comes, we person sons and daughters that are eminently qualified (to contention for president),” helium said.

According to Umahi, determination are radical who are eminently qualified and amended than those who are clamouring for it now.

The minister, however, admitted that the south-east had suffered immoderate measurement of marginalisation successful the past, stating that that was wherefore it was precise hard for immoderate governors similar him to present the portion for the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the 2023 wide elections.

NAN reports that APC performed poorly successful 2023 successful the south-east, with the full portion delivering a paltry 5.85% of the full votes to the party.

Umahi attributed the concern to what helium called the unfair attraction of the South-East radical successful the past.

“But close now, President Bola Tinubu does not privation to cognize wherever you travel from. He is treating everybody precise nicely.

“The south-east mightiness accidental they did not get a batch of appointments, but the presumption of the Minister of Works is equivalent to 5 people A ministers.

“The question is that determination was a clip we (south-east) had each sorts of appointments. Did it construe into infrastructure development? The reply is No.

“But if it is lone 1 oregon 2 oregon 3 oregon 4 oregon 5 that we person now, and we are doing implicit N350 cardinal projects from Enugu to Onitsha by this president. MTN, N202 billion; and past CBC, N150 billion.

“If we are spending N174 cardinal to bash the 2nd entree routes successful Anambra authorities to Anambra 2nd access, which is astir 35 kilometres, and we are spending wealth to link the south-east.

“Yesterday, I saw connected societal media wherever the roads successful Onitsha and Owerri chopped into two. We person sent radical determination that are mobilising to bash the work; the president has awarded that project,” helium said.

Although the curate admitted that determination had been immoderate ‘little challenges’ successful funding, helium said that the contractors had been convinced that they would beryllium paid and, therefore, should instrumentality to the site.

He highlighted different roads presently being constructed successful the portion to include: Port Harcourt-Aba roadworthy (86 kilometres); Aba-Umuahia roadworthy (56 kilometres by two); Umuahia-Lokpanta roadworthy (six kilometers) and Lokpanta- Enugu (61 kilometres by two), worthy implicit N100 billion.

He besides mentioned the Enugu dualisation to Abakaliki, which is N183 cardinal good arsenic the Trans-Sahara roadworthy from Ebonyi to Benue boundary, which helium enactment astatine N456 billion.

“If the president is doing from Afigbo to Uturu and down to Okigwe, which is cutting done Ebonyi-Abia and Imo for N193 cardinal by Dangote taxation credits.

If helium is connecting our span betwixt Cross River and Ebonyi wrong the axis of Afikpo, if helium is connecting our span betwixt Cross River and the Ebonyi-Aduferegbe axis.

“Is it the Abakpa flyover that the president is doing? Is it the flyover to Obinago? Is it the 2 bridges wrong E...