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** highlights major road projects, Army training depot, development commission, seeks renewed mandate in 2027
*** Ebonyi governor pledges 80 per cent votes for Tinubu, Umahi projects 1.3 million votes
**** Shettima receives ‘Aka Ekpuchi Ọnwa’ traditional title in Abakaliki
Vice President Kashim Shettima has said the Federal Government’s investments in critical infrastructure, security, agriculture and human capital development are repositioning the South-East for economic growth, improved connectivity and greater national economic integration.
Senator Shettima also said the administration of President Bola Tinubu was addressing longstanding development challenges in the region through strategic road projects, security interventions, energy initiatives and institutional frameworks designed to unlock its economic potential.
The Vice President spoke on Monday at the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign rally in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, where he canvassed support for Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, insisting that the administration had justified its mandate through development projects and policy interventions.
He described democracy as a debt of honour that could only be repaid through effective service delivery, arguing that the Federal Government had responded to the South-East’s support with tangible investments and distinguished political appointments.
“This campaign has been a season of triumph. We have triumphed over the falsehoods of our opponents. We have triumphed over those who mistook the limits of their imagination for the limits of our reach.
“We have never turned our backs on you. We have answered your support with projects, and His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has honoured Ebonyi through distinguished appointments and projects across the state,” he said.
Senator Shettima identified the Calabar-Ebonyi-Benue-Kogi-Nasarawa-Abuja Superhighway, the Ndibe Bridge linking Ebonyi with Cross River State, the Enugu-Abakaliki-Ogoja Expressway and the Okposi-Ohaozara-Ukawu-Cross River road as major infrastructure investments expected to transform transportation and commercial activities across the region.
According to him, the projects form part of the administration’s broader Trans-Saharan highway vision and are intended to strengthen inter-state connectivity, facilitate the movement of goods and agricultural produce, and reduce transportation costs for businesses.
“Where shall we begin the account of our work? Shall we begin with the Calabar-Ebonyi-Benue-Kogi-Nasarawa-Abuja Superhighway, part of our Trans-Saharan highway vision? Or with the Ndibe Bridge, which will link Ebonyi with Cross River?
“We are advancing work on the Enugu-Abakaliki-Ogoja Expressway and the Okposi-Ohaozara-Ukawu-Cross River road. Again, I ask: where shall we begin?” he said.
On security, the Vice President said the Tinubu administration had intensified efforts to restore stability in the South-East, stressing that peace and security were indispensable to investment, industrial expansion and sustainable economic development.
He cited the establishment and commencement of operations at the Nigerian Army Recruits Training Depot in Amasiri-Edda, Ebonyi State, as one of the Federal Government’s strategic interventions to strengthen security architecture in the region.
“The security of the South-East has changed since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu became Commander-in-Chief over three years ago. We have worked to restore order, and we will keep working,” he assured.
Shettima also highlighted the establishment of the South East Development Commission, the launch of the South-East Vision 2050 and the approval of the South East Investment Company as institutional measures aimed at attracting private capital, promoting regional planning and accelerating economic recovery.
He said the initiatives demonstrated the administration’s recognition that security, economic inclusion and infrastructure development must advance together to achieve lasting stability in the region.
Turning to agriculture, the Vice President described Ebonyi as a strategic contributor to Nigeria’s food security, particularly in rice and cassava production.
He said the Federal Government was supporting farmers through fertiliser distribution, interest-free FarmerMoni assistance and other agricultural development programmes, while investments in rural roads were expected to improve access to markets, reduce post-harvest losses and increase farmers’ earnings.
On economic empowerment, Shettima disclosed that thousands of Ebonyi residents had benefited from grants under the Presidential Conditional Grant Scheme, while federal employment opportunities and digital skills programmes were helping young people acquire relevant competencies and build sustainable livelihoods.
He also commended Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru for deploying increased federal allocations towards infrastructure and essential public services, describing the state government’s development initiatives as evidence of responsible management of public resources.
Making a fresh appeal for political support, the Vice President urged Ebonyi residents to renew the mandate of Tinubu and the APC in the 2027 general elections, saying the administration deserved another opportunity to consolidate its development programmes.
“If any state can speak with confidence about the dividends of democracy, it is Ebonyi. You have stood by us. You have assured us that a mandate is a debt of honour, repayable only through service.
“Yet democracy demands the humility of asking again. We have returned to seek the renewal of your mandate, to serve you, to defend you, and to stand by you,” he said.
In his remarks, Governor Nwifuru reaffirmed Ebonyi State’s support for Tinubu, saying the state had benefited from the President’s economic reforms and special interventions in road infrastructure.
“Under President Tinubu, the poor roads in our state and zone are now better. We now enjoy special road interventions,” the governor said.
He, however, appealed to the Federal Government to provide a 330kV electricity transmission line to improve power supply and support industrial development in the state.
Nwifuru assured the President that Ebonyi would deliver 80 per cent of its votes to him in the 2027 presidential election.
Similarly, the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, described the massive turnout at the rally as evidence of the state’s support for the APC and the Tinubu administration.
Umahi thanked the President for what he described as unprecedented federal investments in road infrastructure across Ebonyi, involving hundreds of kilometres of highways and billions of naira in project funding.
He urged residents to sustain their support for the Tinubu-Shettima administration, expressing confidence that Ebonyi would deliver 1.3 million votes to the President in 2027.
Former APC National Chairman, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, also commended the administration’s economic reforms and infrastructure investments, urging the people to support Tinubu’s re-election bid.
Earlier, Shettima received the traditional title of Aka Ekpuchi Ọnwa, meaning “A Hand Cannot Cover the Moon”, from His Royal Highness, Eze Fidelis Nwonumara, Eze Nnodo II of Amagu Autonomous Community and Chairman of the Izzi/Nnodo Traditional Rulers Council.
The title, derived from an Igbo proverb, symbolises the enduring power of truth, integrity and greatness, conveying the belief that genuine merit and distinguished service cannot be concealed.
The traditional rulers said the conferment recognised the Vice President’s public service and the longstanding bonds of friendship between Northern Nigeria and the South-East.
Expressing appreciation for the honour, Shettima described it as a responsibility to strengthen his relationship with Ebonyi State and promote national unity.
He recalled the historic relationships of trade, friendship and shared community life between the North and the South-East, insisting that Nigeria’s diversity remained one of its greatest strengths.
“I have travelled from the far North-East to the South-East, yet I stand here among brothers and sisters. Our ancestors understood that friendship could cross rivers, mountains and kingdoms.
“They knew that a stranger who is received with love soon becomes a member of the household. This is the Nigeria we must preserve,” he said.
