Minister of Works and former Governor of Ebonyi State, Senator David Umahi, has cited the ongoing N445.851 billion Calabar-Ebonyi-Abuja Superhighway as proof of President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to the South-East, declaring that Ebonyi State is not part of the “Obidient” movement associated with Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

Umahi made the remark in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State Capital City on Saturday while addressing journalists during the commencement of the second round of the Presidential Media Tour of Projects in the South-East geopolitical zone, which began in the state.

The minister argued that the scale of federal infrastructure projects currently underway in the state had changed perceptions about the Federal Government’s commitment to the region and given the people reasons to support the Tinubu administration.

“Let it be known that Ebonyi State is not ‘Obidient’ because we want to catch up with the rest of the country. What happened before was an accident of history,” Umahi said.

His remarks are significant given the strong showing of Peter Obii and the Obidient movement across the South-East during the 2023 presidential election, where the former Anambra State governor secured overwhelming victories in most states of the region.

Addressing journalists at one of the flyovers under construction along the Abakaliki corridor, Umahi said the South-East was witnessing an unprecedented level of federal presence through road, bridge and other strategic infrastructure projects.

According to him, the N445.851 billion Calabar-Ebonyi-Abuja Superhighway, also known as the Trans-Sahara Superhighway, is among President Tinubu’s flagship legacy projects and will transform economic activities across several regions of the country.

“In Ebonyi State alone, if you count, we have 123.5 kilometres of the Trans-Sahara Route. This is one of the legacy projects of Mr President,” he said.

Umahi explained that the highway would run from Calabar through Ebonyi and onward to Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa and Abuja, linking major agricultural and commercial hubs while opening new trade corridors.

He described the project as an economic investment rather than a conventional road project, noting that it would facilitate the movement of agricultural produce and solid minerals from the South-East to other parts of the country.

“This corridor connects us to Cameroon. It is a trade route. It is a very important project,” he said.

The minister also highlighted several other ongoing federal projects in the state, including the Ndibe Beach Bridge in Afikpo, sections of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway corridor and major federal road reconstruction works linking Ebonyi to neighbouring states.

He lamented what he described as years of federal neglect of the state before the current administration, saying previous governments paid little attention to infrastructure development in Ebonyi.

“I was party chairman for five years, deputy governor for four years and governor for eight years. Throughout that period, I never saw any federal project in Ebonyi State,” he said.

According to him, the situation has changed significantly under Tinubu’s administration, with the South-East now receiving attention in line with longstanding demands for inclusion and equitable distribution of federal projects.

“People of the South-East have been crying for fairness and equity. Now we have it. We have every reason to be grateful to the President,” Umahi stated.

The minister further disclosed that the Federal Government was pursuing four major legacy infrastructure projects across the country, including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the Sokoto-Badagry Highway and the Calabar-Ebonyi-Abuja Superhighway.

He said the projects were designed to stimulate economic growth, create jobs and serve as catalysts for development across multiple sectors.

“Infrastructure like roads and bridges are investments. They unlock opportunities in agriculture, trade, housing, manufacturing and other sectors of the economy,” he said.

Umahi also assured contractors handling various projects that payments would be made despite existing funding challenges.

“Some of the contractors have not been paid, but we are credit-worthy. We are going to pay them. We want these projects completed because they are important to the economy,” he said.

At another stop during the inspection tour, the minister briefed journalists on the ongoing Ndibe Beach Bridge project in Afikpo, a 550-metre bridge being constructed by CGC Nigeria Limited at a cost of N65.4 billion.

He said the bridge, which is about 45 per cent completed, would provide a strategic connection to the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and improve transportation and economic activities within the region.

Also speaking during the tour, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement (South-East), Barrister Chioma Nweze, said the region was witnessing a level of federal attention not seen in decades.

“We thank Mr President because this is the first time the South-East has been intentionally included in the scheme of things. We are seeing fulfilled promises and not promises yet to be fulfilled,” she said.

The Presidential Media Tour, organised by the Renewed Hope Ambassadors (RHA) in collaboration with the Presidential Media Team, is expected to cover Ebonyi, Enugu, Anambra, Abia and Imo states over five days. The exercise is aimed at showcasing federal and state projects being executed under President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

The nationwide initiative was launched earlier this year to enable journalists physically inspect projects across the country. Its first phase covered the North-West, where participants toured major infrastructure projects, including sections of the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Highway, the Kaduna-Kano-Maradi rail corridor and irrigation schemes in Jigawa and Kebbi states.