Umahi’s Retention A Beacon of Hope for Ndigbo, Says Ohanaeze
Benjamin Nworie in Abakaliki
The Apex Igbo Sociocultural Organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo has profound gratitude and appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for his decision to retain the Minister of Works David Umahi.
In a statement issued by the Secretary General of the body, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, Ohanaeze noted that Umahi represents a beacon of hope and long awaited consolation gift for the people of the southeast zone.
According to him: “we stand on the cusp of a transformative era. President Tinubu’s decision to appoint a South Easterner, Senator Dave Umahi, as the Minister of Works serves as a remarkable shift in policy and a significant acknowledgment of the Southeast’s plight”.
“For an arduous span of fifty-four years, the Southeastern region of Nigeria has encountered systemic neglect in terms of federal infrastructure development”.
“This neglect, akin to a capital punishment bestowed upon the region after the tragic conclusion of the Biafra War, has elicited widespread frustration and despair among our people”.
“Successive administrations have oftentimes indulged in mere lip service, devoid of any substantive actions to alleviate the palpable suffering of our communities”.
“The glaring absence of federal infrastructure across the ninety-five local government areas of Southeastern Nigeria has indeed fueled an atmosphere of restiveness and agitation for equity in resource allocation”.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo further added that the federal government, under President Tinubu’s leadership, was poised to engage highly reputable construction firms, ensuring that the infrastructure in Southeast Nigeria will reflect the quality and resilience that all communities deserve.
“In the year since President Tinubu assumed office, the Southeast has experienced a renewed sense of optimism, catalyzed by Senator Umahi’s appointment”.
“This retention signifies a turning point—an opportunity to rectify decades of neglect and usher in a new era of infrastructural advancement within our region. Thus, we regard this as a pivotal gesture towards rekindling the trust and support of the Southeast for the Tinubu administration”.
“We affirm that Ohanaeze Ndigbo stands wholeheartedly behind Senator Dave Umahi as a paragon of Igbo leadership—one whose integrity and principled approach can substantially contribute to the success of the Tinubu government in the realm of construction and infrastructural development across the nation”, Isiguzoro said.
The apex body further advocated for a united front in support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Minister Dave Umahi’s initiatives.