The Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, has called on Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso to issue a public apology to President Bola Tinubu, describing the former governor’s claims of northern marginalisation in road infrastructure as “false, misleading and self-serving.”
The call was contained in a rebuttal where Umahi presented detailed evidence showing 52% of the administration’s legacy road projects are actually located in northern states.
The ministerโs response followed Kwankwasoโs recent remarks alleging that the Tinubu-led government was prioritising infrastructural developments in the southern part of Nigeria at the expense of the North.
Umahi accused the former governor of peddling misinformation to โdeceive our brothers and sisters in the Northโ and gain political favour.
โI consider this statement as grave misleading information made intentionally to create division and pretend that he loves the North more than any other leader from the region,โ Umahi said.
Providing a breakdown of ongoing projects, the minister highlighted President Tinubuโs four major legacy road initiatives, emphasising that the North benefits more in terms of both length and investment.
The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, a 750km project, currently has 175km under construction in the South, while the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, spanning 1,068km, has 378km already ongoing in the North. โWhen you compare the figures fairly, the North has 756km of ongoing 3-lane road projects, while the South has 409km. The facts are there for anyone to verify,โ Umahi stated.
He further questioned why critics like Kwankwaso focus solely on the Lagos-Calabar Highway while ignoring other significant projects in the North.
โThe Sokoto-Badagry road alone has 316km under construction in Kebbi and 240km in Sokoto. Yet, some people only talk about the 220km in Lagos. Is that fair?โ the minister asked.
Beyond the legacy projects, Umahi listed multiple high-budget road developments in the North, including the N824 billion Sokoto-Zamfara-Katsina-Kaduna dual carriageway and the N764 billion Abuja-Kaduna-Kano expressway, which is being reconstructed with concrete pavement for durability.
โDespite insecurity in some of these areas, work is progressing. How can anyone claim the North is being neglected?โ he said.
In the South, the minister acknowledged critical projects such as the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway completion and the rehabilitation of the Third Mainland Bridge but noted that some key southern roads had been delayed due to funding constraints.
โI have been under pressure from stakeholders in the South-West over roads like Ibadan-Ife-Ilesa and the Ore-Sagamu corridor. But the truth is, we are working within available resources,โ he explained.
Umahi also addressed inherited projects from the previous administration, revealing that 80% of the ongoing road contracts were initiated under former President Muhammadu Buhari but were only fully activated under Tinubu.
โIf President Tinubu had abandoned these projects, the same critics would have complained. Instead, he ensured continued funding,โ he said.
The minister challenged Kwankwaso to a public debate on the matter, insisting that his claims were politically motivated. โThis is not about politics; it is about national unity. Leaders should not make statements that divide us,โ Umahi said.
He further disclosed plans to publish a comprehensive list of all road projects exceeding N20 billion next week, urging Nigerians to judge the administrationโs fairness based on verifiable data.
In his concluding remarks, Umahi called on Kwankwaso to retract his statement and apologise to the president. โSenator Kwankwaso owes Mr. President and the Nigerian people an apology. Spreading falsehoods for political gain is unacceptable,โ he said.
He reassured citizens that the Tinubu administration remains committed to equitable development across all regions, adding, โPresident Tinubu governs with fairness, equity, and the fear of God. No zone is left behind.โ
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