Federal road investments show South-East not marginalised – Enugu senator

Osita Ngwu, who represents Enugu West Senatorial District, has said the South-East is no longer experiencing the sense of marginalisation that many in the region previously felt, citing federal appointments and ongoing infrastructure development under President Bola Tinubu’s Administration.

Ngwu made the remarks during an inspection of Federal Government projects in Enugu State on Monday.

The tour, which involved senior journalists and government officials, was organised by Renewed Hope Ambassadors in partnership with the Presidential Media Team.

Among the projects inspected were the completed 23-span Eke Obinagu Flyover Bridge along the Enugu-Abakaliki Expressway, the reconstructed Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway, and the Abakpa Interchange currently under construction.

According to the senator, the Eke Obinagu Flyover has resolved a long-standing transportation problem on the route connecting Enugu and Ebonyi states.

He also noted that improvements on the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway had dramatically reduced travel time, with journeys that previously took between five and six hours now taking a little over two hours.

Ngwu maintained that claims that the South-East had been neglected by the Federal Government no longer align with developments taking place in the region.

“To be honest, I was among those who previously felt that Enugu and the South-East had been neglected by the Federal Government. But that is now a thing of the past. Under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, we have been carried along.

“How can we be marginalised when we have the Honourable Minister for Work for the first time? And who is performing? We cannot be marginalised.

“How can we be marginalised when we have this flyover? How can we be marginalised when we have Enugu-Port Harcourt road done? How can we be marginalised when we have Enugu-Onitsha done? How can we be marginalised when we have Enugu going to Makurdi done? What else do you want from the government to do?

“The only thing we have to do is to continue to support the government so that these projects will be sustained. Our own governor in Enugu is collaborating very well. You know, when people ask why we joined the APC, you can see it here. Because the projects are coming. The governor is performing wonderfully well.

“The projects from the federal government are coming perfectly well and that is the reason for democracy. The dividends are coming. The other parts can be done. Rome was not built in a day. So I urge Nigerians to be patient with the government. Things will always get better,” he added.

At the Abakpa Interchange project site, Engineer Kanile Raphael Nkoko explained that the project includes a 100-metre flyover and accompanying service roads being constructed by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC). He said the infrastructure is intended to improve traffic movement and reduce delays in the area.

“The project was designed to address the heavy traffic congestion experienced at this junction, particularly during peak periods. When completed, it will improve traffic flow, reduce travel time and support economic activities within the area,” he said.

Providing further insight into the Eke Obinagu Flyover, the Federal Controller of Works in Enugu State, Engr. Smart Ndem Okpi, said the project was initiated to tackle recurring traffic congestion and enhance safety on the Enugu-Abakaliki Expressway.

“The Eke Obinagu Flyover Bridge was conceived to address the persistent traffic congestion and safety challenges along the busy Enugu-Abakaliki Expressway,” he said.

Also speaking during the tour, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the projects inspected demonstrated the administration’s commitment to ensuring development reaches all parts of the country.

He stated, “We have all seen the evidence of the President of Nigeria in action and what he has done in every part of Nigeria.

“Everywhere is been taken care of and the good thing is that people are going to feel the impact of the various projects, particularly the ongoing road works executed in many parts of the country.”

Similarly, Sunday Dare, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, said Nigerians would be surprised by the scale of projects undertaken by the Tinubu administration once a comprehensive compilation is completed.

According to Dare, numerous testimonies already exist regarding infrastructure and development projects spread across the six geopolitical zones, adding that the full extent of these interventions would become clearer when documented and presented collectively.

He said the evidence would challenge critics and reinforce the administration’s record of performance.

“We heard the powerful testimony by Senator Osita Ngwu who spoke about the fixing of the bridge connecting Port Harcourt and Enugu, and services the transportation of products from the North and the South which broke down completely.

“He also confirmed how the President acted promptly by fixing the bridge after his raising the problem on the floor of the senate. We have seen the Port Harcourt-Enugu expressway, the flyover and a couple of other projects.

“It shows a very responsive leadership under President Tinubu. The spread of projects we have seen in the last few days under President Tinubu in the South East alone, is amazing.

“We are compiling the evidences and by the time we finish assembling the projects in the six geopolitical zones, we will have enough evidence to show Nigerians that we indeed have a President who is at work for this country,” he said.