By joshua 2027: Vote Tinubu, Our Votes Alone Can’t Make Obi President-Umahi Tells S/East
—As FG Begins demolition of Uturu-Okigwe Mountain
By Emmanuel Agbo, Abakaliki
The Minister of Works Senator David Umahi has urged the peoples of South East region to massively vote President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s reelection in the 2027 general elections, saying that the votes of entire South East alone can not make their brother, presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Party (NDP) Peter Obi President of the Country.
The Minister expressed commitment of the Federal Government to demolish a 60 -meter -high mountain between Uturu, Abia State and Okigwe, Imo State and used to it fill the dangerous gully that has consumed so many lives at the border of the two sister states
Umahi made the assertion during the inspection of 65 kilometers Afikpo-Uturu-Okigwe Federal road being executed by Federal Government tax credit scheme with Dangote industries limited as sponsor and Hi- Tech construction as contractor.
The Minister urged the peoples of South East not to dowel on hate speech, sentiments, but embrace the present realities and show gratitude to President Tinubu for all he is doing to them.
“We need to stand up for this man that said Nigeria belongs to all of us and South East is part of Nigeria”
“South East must know that our votes alone can not make our brother Peter Obi to be president of Nigeria, we must have to be strategic” he said
Umahi maintained that the administration’s intervention in the Southeast should be assessed from the standpoint of tangible infrastructure delivery and economic impact, rather than political sentiments.
He noted that Uturu-Okigwe mountain has historically constituted a major safety challenge for road users and was responsible for several fatal accidents along the corridor, stressing that the Tinubu administration was determined to eliminate the obstacle and deliver a safer and more efficient highway.
“This mountain, by the command of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, must collapse for the people of South-East,” Umahi said.
He described the mountain section as one of the most technically demanding portions of the project, noting that its successful removal would represent a major infrastructure breakthrough and contribute significantly to reducing loss of lives on the route.
“This place is very challenging. We have a mountain that is over 60 metres high. If God helps us in the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to achieve this, this will be a major saving of lives for the people of South-East. This place has consumed many lives,” he said.
Umahi said work on the 65-kilometre road had recorded much progress, with more than 20 kilometres already completed, while commending the contractor for the quality of construction.
He particularly praised the concrete pavement being deployed, describing it as superior to what was obtainable on some other major Federal Government highway projects.
Earlier, the Project Controller, Engr. Maxwell Oko, said the Highway F112 project comprised 9.9 kilometres of dual carriageway and 55.55 kilometres of single carriageway.
Oko explained that the road was being delivered under the tax-credit arrangement, with Dangote Industries Limited as the sponsoring company and Hi-Tech Construction as the executing contractor.
According to him, the highway constitutes a major arterial route linking communities and adjoining Federal highways across Ebonyi, Abia and Imo states, with significant implications for trade, transportation and regional integration.
Also speaking, the Managing Director of Hi-Tech Construction, Christopher Aucamp, said the contractor had commenced preparatory operations at the mountainous section in readiness for intensive excavation and earthworks.
“This is the mountain we’ve been talking about. This is the mountain where we have to do the realisation of the nine kilometres. As you can see, we are busy with progress on it,” Aucamp said.
He disclosed that three excavators would be deployed to accelerate the excavation and reshaping of the difficult terrain.
“We bring three excavators down so we can start demolishing the mountain and start filling the full areas to straighten the road out a little bit,”
Aucamp further disclosed that the contractor was constructing a second bypass to facilitate safer movement for students and other road users while construction activities continued around the mountain section.
Speaking, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement, Southeast, Barr. Chioma Nweze, commended the Federal Government for prioritising strategic road infrastructure in the region.
Nweze said the Afikpo-Uturu-Okigwe highway would strengthen connectivity, open up communities and markets, and stimulate commercial activities across the affected states.
She identified the Enugu-Onitsha, Enugu-Port Harcourt, Enugu-Abakaliki, Abakaliki Trans-Sahara and Onitsha-Owerri roads among other major Federal Government projects ongoing in the Southeast.
She said the projects underscored the Tinubu administration’s commitment to closing critical infrastructure gaps and integrating the Southeast more firmly into the national economic development framework.