Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has said that leaders of the South-East are pursuing political solutions that could facilitate the release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, while maintaining peace and stability across the region.
Umahi made the remarks on Saturday during an inspection of Section II of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project in Epe, Lagos State.
He said South-East governors, with the support of other stakeholders, were committed to ensuring lasting peace in the region while seeking political means to address Kanu’s detention.
“The governors of the South-East are doing everything possible, and we are supporting them in ensuring a peaceful South-East while also exploring political ways of helping our brother, Nnamdi Kanu,” he said.
The minister also reaffirmed his support for President Bola Tinubu, declaring that Ebonyi State and the wider South-East remained loyal to the President rather than the Obedient Movement.
He dismissed suggestions that the region had shifted its political allegiance, stating, “We recently adopted President Tinubu in Ebonyi State. I will not stop speaking. I will not stop defending Nigerians and our people. I want everybody to know that Ebonyi is not for the Obedient Movement. Our loyalty is to President Bola Tinubu.”
Commenting on reports circulating on social media that former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, had pledged to discontinue some of President Tinubu’s legacy infrastructure projects if elected president, Umahi described the alleged statement as unfortunate.
“When my brother, Peter Obi, said, as I saw on social media, that he would stop the legacy projects, that was a very painful statement. I hope he did not say so. But I know Nigerians will reject that position,” he said.
Umahi stressed that no politician could attain the presidency through deception, insisting that honesty, accountability and a proven record of service were essential qualities of credible leadership.
He further criticised Obi for what he described as a failure to publicly address insecurity in the South-East, particularly the Monday sit-at-home order observed in parts of the region.
“Nobody should joke with the thousands of South-East people who were killed in the process. He has not been honest with our people. People sit at home every Monday, and he has not spoken against it.
“He simply wants to become President by all means, and that is not good for our people. Let us know the truth. Deceit will not help us,” Umahi said.
Speaking on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the minister described the project as a key component of President Tinubu’s vision for national development and economic transformation.
“This project, which someone is said to have promised to stop, and I hope he never said so, is highly innovative. I only saw it on social media,” he added.
Umahi also challenged members of the Obedient Movement to compare the achievements of Tinubu and Obi during their respective tenures as governors of Lagos and Anambra states.
“I have challenged the Obedient Movement to compare President Bola Tinubu’s record as Governor of Lagos State with that of Peter Obi as Governor of Anambra State. Let us see the master plans each of them created. Let us see the projects that lived beyond their tenure,” he said.
According to the minister, ongoing infrastructure projects, including initiatives around the River Niger corridor, would stimulate economic growth and create significant opportunities for the South-East and the country as a whole.
