The Minister of Works, Sen. Dave Umahi, has dismissed as false and misleading a publication by one Linus Anagboso (known as D-Big Pen) that claimed that the Southeastwas neglected in road infrastructure development.
This is contained in a statement by Mohammed Ahmed, Director, Press and Public, in the Ministry and made available to newsmen on Monday.
Umahi said that the publication titled "The Politics of Asphalt: Why is the SoutheastMissing from the Map?" was mischievous and deceptive.
He demanded that Anagboso retract the statement immediately.
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According to the minister, President Bola Tinubu has been fair to all regions of the country, including the South East.
He noted that Tinubu had revived 90 percent of abandoned road projects, some dating back to 2013, and was still executing new ones without discrimination.
He also said that four Legacy Projects were approved to cover all six geopolitical zones.
According to him, one of them, which runs from Cross River through Ebonyi, Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa, and Abuja, includes a significant portion in the Southeast, about 231.64 kilometres, and is already awarded at a cost of N445.8 billion.
The minister further said that the last Federal Executive Council meeting approved the review of the corridor length to 231.64 km at the same contract sum.
He added that Anagboso deliberately misrepresented this as an Oyo-Benue road to mislead the public.
He listed major projects ongoing in the Southeast, including the Second Niger Bridge Access Roads: Section 2A in Delta (N146 billion) and Section 2B in Anambra (N176 billion).
Other major ongoing projects, the minister said, were the Enugu-Onitsha Road (208 km), with MTN Tax Credit funding of N202 billion, and CBC handling the remaining sections for N150 billion.
"There is also the Enugu-Port Harcourt Road in four sections: Enugu-Abakaliki, Afikpo-Abia-Imo, Onitsha-Owerri-Aba, Aba-Ikot Ekpene, and Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene," he said.
Umahi urged the people of the Southeastto support Tinubu, noting that his administration had shown fairness and love to the region.
He also commended the Southeastgovernors for supporting the federal government and urged citizens to stand by them as they work for their second term in office.
According to him, one day, the Southeastwill produce the president of Nigeria, but not in 2027.
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He reaffirmed his commitment to correcting any false claims meant to deceive the people. (NAN)
