A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Enugu State, Comrade Adolphus Ude, has strongly criticised the Minister of Works, Engr. Dave Umahi, over his recent comments that the South-East is satisfied with the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
Ude, a former pioneer Deputy Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu State and current coordinator of ADC Enugu Like Minds, described Umahi’s remarks as misleading, selfish and disconnected from the realities on ground in the region.
He went as far as describing the minister as an “efulefu,” a term he said reflects servitude to interests allegedly responsible for the continued marginalisation of Ndigbo.
Umahi had, while inspecting ongoing federal infrastructure projects in the South-East, attributed renewed Biafra agitation to past marginalisation but insisted that the region is now well integrated into national governance and comfortable under the Tinubu administration.
However, reacting in a statement on Thursday, Ude argued that marginalisation of the South-East has worsened since President Tinubu assumed office on May 29, 2023, particularly in federal appointments and the distribution of major infrastructure projects.
While reaffirming that ADC members in Enugu support a united and indivisible Nigeria and reject secessionist agitation, Ude dismissed claims that Igbos are happy with what he described as “so-called inclusive governance.”
He queried, “Which of the long-standing grievances of the South-East has this administration addressed? What has the Tinubu government done differently from previous governments? Which inclusive governance is the minister referring to when the entire South-East was excluded from the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway and the Sokoto–Badagry Highway projects?”
Ude lamented that none of the multi-trillion-naira signature projects passed through any of the five South-East states — Abia, Anambra, Enugu, Imo and Ebonyi — “not even as a bypass.”
He also expressed concern over the slow pace of federal road projects inherited by the current administration in the region, citing the Enugu–Port Harcourt, Owerri–Onitsha and Enugu–Onitsha expressways, which remain incomplete more than two years into the government.
Recalling Umahi’s January 2024 announcement on the commencement of the Ninth Mile–Enugu–Makurdi Highway, Ude noted that the Enugu section of the road remains in poor condition nearly two years later.
“Whether the concrete roads will last 50 or 100 years, let them be completed first before talking about durability,” he said.
The ADC leader also referenced reports that the Federal Executive Council approved projects worth about N3.9 trillion for Lagos State alone within two years, challenging the Minister of Works to disclose the total value of federal road projects currently ongoing across the entire South-East.
Ude warned Umahi against what he described as reckless statements capable of undermining Igbo interests, stressing that no responsible politician should toy with the destiny of his own people.
He further argued that without equity, fairness and justice in infrastructure distribution, Nigeria cannot achieve balanced development, warning that persistent imbalance could fuel further agitation and instability.
Ude also alleged that the South-East has been marginalised in ministerial appointments and leadership positions in federal agencies under the Tinubu administration.
“Ogun State alone has four ministers, just one less than the five allotted to the entire South-East,” he said, adding that the region has similarly been sidelined in the appointment of heads of key parastatals and agencies.
