The Honourable Minister of Works, Senator Engr. David Umahi, CON, has called on Nigerians, particularly people of the Southeast, to recognise and appreciate the infrastructure investments of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, saying the President has “changed the narrative” of development in the region.
Umahi made the call on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, when Bishops and Archbishops of the Methodist Church from the Southeast paid him a courtesy visit at the headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Works.
Speaking during the visit, the Minister said the Southeast had experienced marginalisation in the past, but stressed that the situation should not prevent the people from acknowledging the scale of ongoing federal infrastructure development under President Tinubu.
“Yes, I agree that in the past there was so much marginalisation of the Igbo everywhere, not just the Southeast, but President Bola Tinubu has changed the narrative,” Umahi said.
According to him, the Federal Government is currently working across the country because of the President’s commitment to infrastructure development, adding that the appointment of a Minister of Works from the Southeast had also provided an opportunity to accelerate projects in the region.
“We are working everywhere in Nigeria because of who the President is,” he said, adding, “If we didn’t get a Minister of Works, and if we didn’t have President Bola Tinubu, I don’t know whether we would have changed the narrative in the Southeast.”
Umahi urged the people of the Southeast to continue demanding more development while also appreciating what is already being done.
“We can be looking for more. I agree. We can demand more so that we can meet up with the past marginalisation, but it shouldn’t make us not be appreciative,” he said.
Using the biblical account of the ten lepers healed by Jesus Christ, the Minister said appreciation was important in ensuring that the wounds of the past were gradually healed.
He said, “Man was created in the image of God,” stressing that just as one of the ten lepers returned to appreciate Christ after being healed, Nigerians should also acknowledge positive developments while continuing to seek greater progress.
Umahi said the Southeast had not supported President Tinubu at the polls as much as it should have, but argued that the President’s actions since assuming office shows his willingness to develop the region.
“We didn’t vote for the President as we should, and he’s doing all these things for us,” he said.
He therefore appealed to the people of the Southeast to support the President’s administration and ensure that the infrastructure projects already underway are completed.
“The prayers you want to do should be for the President, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” Umahi said, adding that his own major concern was to ensure that the projects initiated under the administration were completed.
“I said I’m on the ballot. When the President has won, I have won,” he declared, explaining that his greatest desire was to see the projects being executed across the country completed.
“If these projects are completed, we will never be the same again,” he said.
The Minister highlighted several major road and bridge projects in the Southeast which he said would significantly improve transportation, economic activity and connectivity when completed.
He pointed to the Enugu-Port Harcourt Road, noting that for many years travellers had endured extremely long journey times on the route.
“In Enugu-Port Harcourt, for more than 18 years, nobody has spent less than seven hours to do that short journey,” he said, stressing that the road was now undergoing reconstruction, including sections being executed with reinforced concrete pavement.
He also cited the Enugu-Onitsha corridor, Enugu-Abakaliki Road, the Eke-Obinagu Flyover in Enugu and the Second Niger Bridge as examples of infrastructure projects.