The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has criticised former Kano State governor and presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, for alleging that President Bola Tinubu’s administration was neglecting the North in its infrastructure development.
In a statement issued at the weekend, Senator Umahi, who described the allegation as “absolutely false, misleading, and self-serving,” stressed that Kwankwaso won’t succeed in his desperation to inherit former President Muhammadu Buhari’s impeccable legacy.
He accused Kwankwaso of trying to deceive northerners and stir unnecessary regional sentiments.
Umahi insisted that out of the total length of Tinubu’s legacy projects, the North accounts for 52 per cent while the South has 48 per cent.
He emphasised that Kwankwaso’s claims were aimed at misleading northerners and stirring unnecessary regional sentiments.
The minister urged Kwankwaso to apologize to the president for misleading Nigerians and retract the unfounded statement.
He also appealed to Nigerians to disregard Kwankwaso’s claims, assuring them that President Tinubu remained committed to developing every part of the country with fairness, equity, and the fear of God.
To counter the allegations, Umahi provided updates on major ongoing federal road projects across all six geopolitical zones, emphasising the Northern region.
According to him, the four legacy projects of the Tinubu administration include the 750km Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the 1,068km Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, the 465km Trans-Sahara Highway, and the Akwanga-Jos-Bauchi-Gombe Road.
He highlighted several key projects in the North, including the 275km dualized Sokoto-Gusau-Funtua-Zaria Road and the 700km Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Road.
Umahi compared the projects in the North and South, stating that the North has 756km of ongoing projects compared to 409km in the South.
He emphasised that Kebbi State alone has 316km under construction, and Sokoto has 240km ongoing, while Lagos has just 220km.
He also highlighted several completed and ongoing projects in the South, including the Lagos-Ibadan expressway and the Oyo-Ogbomoso-Ilorin Road.
Umahi noted that out of the inherited Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Ltd (NNPCL) Tax Credit projects, the North has 53 per cent while the South has 47 per cent.
He emphasised that the President has continued to fund critical projects irrespective of region and that a comprehensive list of inherited and ongoing projects would be published shortly.
The minister challenged anyone with contrary facts to an open debate, saying, “I am ready to explain further and even face a public debate to set the record straight.”
He repeated that Kwankwaso should apologize to President Tinubu and Nigerians, as his claim is not backed by facts.
Umahi emphasised the need for truth and unity in building a developed Nigeria.
