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South East roads: Will Umahi make or mar them?

Published

3 years ago

December 5, 2023

By Chudi Okologbu Uwandu

Will the Hon Minister for works, Senator, Chief, Nweze Umahi, gladen the hearts of South Easterners and embolden them to travel to their homeland this Christmas , or scare them away with potholes, craters and broken bridges?

Soon, in less than 25 days, it will be Christmas and Easterners, especially, Igbos, will begin their traditional exodus from all parts of the world to their communities to perform pilgrimages of sorts, to reconnect with their umbilical cords

The yearly visits have become, more or less, a ritual, traceable to time immemorial, before the creation of Nigeria and before the first celebration of Christmas in Badagry, Lagos, 181 years ago.

Christmas in Badagry was the first in history to be marked in the territory that later became Nigeria in 1914, after the amalgamation of the Southern and Northern protectorates by the colonialists.

Two West European Missionaries, Reverend Thomas Birch Freeman, a pioneer Methodist Missionary and Reverend Henry Townsend, his Anglican counterpart , were said to have organised the historic Christmas for the earliest freed slaves and some newly converted locals on December, 25, 1842.

Christmas is celebrated widely in the world to mark the birth of Jesus Christ whom Christians believe, is the son of God. It is a period they use to particularly appreciate God for sending His only son to die to save humanity from sin.

But for the Igbos, Christmas, or, these end-of- year visits, means a lot more. After a year or two of sojourning in far-away lands, they find it difficult to resist the urge to return to their homeland.

Like mechanical vehicles, they drive home to refuel with energy and inspiration, from their ancestral filling stations, to strengthen their entrepreneurial acumen and brother’s- keeper spirit.

This home-coming, is so significant for many reasons among which are: family reunions, search for marriage mates and celebrations of marriages, rest from the hustles and bustles of the year and commemoration of festivals coloured with masquerades and dances .

In addition, it has recently, become a veritable season to organise and launch community development programmes and projects. In short, activities in Igbo communities, at Christmas, turn into carnivals for various reasons considered too important to be missed by any “Nwafo,” true Igboman.

Unfortunately, not so much any more from the recent past. The lure to spend Christmas at home, has lately become weak, primarily because of bad roads and insecurity.

Obviously, road, as a major infrastructure, facilitates these movements. Good roads help to improve citizens’ quality of life and greases economic activities. The Igbos, more than any group in Nigeria, take these advantages home every Yuletide.

But in their current dilapidated and worn-out condition, roads to and in the South East, have become very difficult and challenging to use. Some of them have become near impassable at several points, thereby, negating these benefits.

Consequently, travels to destinations now take three to four times their normal durations. Vehicles get knocked and damaged; sometimes, abandoned in the middle of nowhere, to the mercy of robbers, bandits and terrorists.

For instance a journey to Umuahia from Abuja, a distance of about 700 kilometers, which would normally take nine and half hours, now takes about 14 to 16 hours, depending on the type of car used.

The increased wave of insecurity occasioned by clashes between sponsored non-state actors and federal and state security agencies is another reason going home at Christmas and embarking on such end-of-year visits, have become less attractive and a risky venture.

Considering other benefits of good roads which include: improved connectivity between other parts of the world and homeland, attraction and repatriation of investments, free flow of products and services as well, as, increased economic stability and quality of life , the call for the rehabilitation, reconstruction and construction of strong, paved roads to the east, can therefore, not be overemphasised.

Their rehabilitation, will consequently go a long way in restituting the confidence and desire of Igbos to revive their waning homeland spirit.

It is in this light that the appointment of Senator, Chief Nweze Umahi, as the Minister of works by President Bola Tinubu, has ignited hopes of redemption among the Igbos, nay, Easterners, that Christmas 2023, may be be a turning point for their demoralised homeland spirit.

Chief Umahi, himself, a core Igboman and an astute politician was a former Governor of Ebonyi State. His deployment to the works ministry by President Bola Tinubu, is an absolute testimony to his transformation of Ebonyi into a modern state through the provision of infrastructure in various departments of that state’s economy.

Any wonder, then, his appointment has raised the hopes of many Igbos and a euphoria for the revival of the mass return.

As a key agent of Mr President’s “Renewed Hope” mantra and the first Igboman in recent history to be appointed to the portfolio, the big question many Igbos are asking is: “will the roads leading to and in the east, be built now, that our son is in charge or will he leave them in their current ruinous and parlous state?

The Honourable Minister, is aware of the state of the roads in the South East, as well as other parts of the country. He is also aware of the expectations of his kinsmen to make a difference in his administration of road infrastructure in the region this time around.

For instance , at one of his meetings with Contractors handling roads, in the six geo-political zones in the country, the thoroughbred structural engineer, admitted as much.

He was quoted as saying: “I shed tears for the kind of hardships our people are enduring. I travelled through the roads myself and I was brought to tears by the pain our people are experiencing… I was glad that I experienced the hardships firsthand.”

At another meeting, where he got emotional, he added, that there was no evidence of good roads in the South East.

His other statements that “we will get it right. The time to do a good job is here. If you were doing a bad job before, this period is not for you. We must work 24 hours to do a good and acceptable construction that will last,” evidence his strong commitment to deliver on his mandate.

The Federal government recently allocated four hundred billion naira (N400billion), for roads and infrastructure in the 2023 supplementary budget, but the Minister says over seven trillion naira,(N7trn), will be needed to reconstruct South Eastern roads.

The – Enugu- Abakaliki- Ogoja, and the Amawbia – Ekwulobia – Nnokwa roads, are among the 20 road construction projects across the six geo- political zones recently billed for dualization at he cost of fifty- billion naira(N58 billion) naira, while sources at the Federal ministry of works add that eight billion, four hundred million naira(N8.4billion), has been allocated to the rehabilitation of highways in the South East.

Additional statements made and actions taken by the Minister on the roads, seem to be thawing the doubts in the minds of South Easterners and reassuring them that the roads will be built.

For example, while inspecting the state of the roads, he directed contractors handling road projects in the region, to redesign them and to use concrete to complete the remaining dilapidated sections.

Again, , the prompt attention the Minister gave to the collapsed fly-over bridge at the Enugu end of the Enugu- Port Harcourt expressway is another indicator that he will rise up to the expectations of the people of the South -East.

It demonstrated his sensitivity to the pains users of the road which links Rivers, Cross Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Delta and Edo states would have experienced if they dared travel the route this December in its damaged state.

Aready, palliative work has begun on the bridge. Full reconstruction of both of its lanes has been slated for the middle of December.

Following the development, an elated Governor of Enugu state, Dr. Peter Mbah praised Chief Umahi for quickly mobilising for the repair of the failed bridge immediately it collapsed.

The Governor, recalled that the Minister visited the bridge within 48 hours of its failure, to demonstrate his preparedness to walk his talk in respect of building and reconstructing eastern roads.

Bad roads have been the major worry of Igbos since the end of the civil war. Major arteries destroyed during the unfortunate conflict have remained so, more than 60 years after the war.

It is one of the major reasons Igbos feel marginalised and have not trusted the leaderships of the Central governments since the return to civilian rule in 1999.

Some political analysts have propounded that President Bola Tinubu, appointed an Igbo to the prominent ministry of works as a strategy to win the confidence and support of the Igbos, who barely voted for him in this years general elections.

There is little doubt that if roads in the South East are rehabilitated, reconstructed and constructed by the Tinubu administration, many Igbos will review their assessment and perception of Mr. President and the All Progressive Congress (APC).

Until then, the question in the hearts and mouths of many Easterners will remain ” Will Umahi mar, or, make our roads?”

Uwandu, foremost journalist, senior citizen, wrote from Abuja

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Don’t jump to conclusion! *Umahi speaks on mysterious death of female students!

Published

1 day ago

July 11, 2026

Whirlwindnews

In a quick riposte on Saturday, Dave Umahi, Minister of Works, has cautioned Nigerians to be circumspect in the manner they react to the story of the death of a female student in his home in Ebonyi State, warning against the temptation of jumping to conclusion.

Conveying his position on the highly-volatile matter through Francis Nwaze, his spokesman, Umahi, former Governor of Ebonyi State and a key figure in the government of President Bola Tinubu, said caution was needed to enable the police conduct unfettered investigation into the matter.

It was his response to breaking of how one Mary Habila, a female physiotherapist reportedly died in his palatial home at Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, on June 27, hours after arriving the day before.

Nwaze, a Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, specifically cautioned against speculations by “tale bearers,” while conveying the Minister’s shock over the matter and his eagerness for the authorities to get at the root of the matter through forensic investigations.

He wrote in the statement: “The attention of the Media Office of the Honourable Minister of Works, Senator Engr. David Nweze Umahi, has been drawn to a publication by a publication concerning the unfortunate passing of Miss Mary Habila in Uburu, Ebonyi State, alleging that the circumstances surrounding her death were shrouded in secrecy.

“The Honourable Minister received the news with profound shock and sadness and has since extended his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family. For the avoidance of doubt, immediately the unfortunate incident occurred, appropriate emergency steps were taken. Medical personnel, including the Chief Medical Director of the David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences, Uburu, were contacted without delay, while the Nigeria Police was promptly notified in accordance with the law.

“Following confirmation of Miss Habila’s passing, the Honourable Minister personally received her parents, conveyed his sincere condolences, and advised that an autopsy be conducted to scientifically establish the exact cause of death. At the time, however, the family declined the recommendation.

“It is important to clarify that Miss Mary Habila and Miss Anita Baski are employees of the David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences, Uburu, who had been on secondment to the Federal Ministry of Works as physiotherapists for the past three years until the unfortunate passing of Miss Habila.

“Following the recent developments and in the interest of ensuring that the truth is established beyond doubt, the Honourable Minister has again reiterated his position that an autopsy must be conducted. He remains convinced that this is the most credible and responsible path to resolving all questions surrounding the unfortunate incident.

“We therefore urge the public to exercise restraint, refrain from speculation or premature conclusions, and allow the relevant authorities to carry out their responsibilities without interference. At this difficult time, our thoughts and prayers remain with the family of the deceased, and we pray that God grants them the strength to bear this irreparable loss.”

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BREAKING: Mystery death! *Female student dies a day after arriving Umahi’s home!

Published

1 day ago

July 11, 2026

Whirlwindnews

The circumstances that led to the sudden death of Mary Habbila, a Nigerian female student died in the Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, home of Dave Umahi, Minister of Works, has now thrown the entire household and environs into serious quandary.

SaharaReporters, which first broke the revealed that the incident, which happened since June 27 this year, has been shrouded in secrecy, with both the Ebonyi State Government and the state police command maintaining silence over the matter.

The incident, the report, added, took place barely a day after Habbila and another woman, Anita Baski, both from Kaduna State, were reportedly brought to the minister’s residence, triggering a police investigation, with the case transferred from the Ohaozara Divisional Police Headquarters to the Ebonyi State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Abakaliki.

Habbila and Baski reportedly arrived at the minister’s residence on June 26 to “attend” to him, only for Habbila to be found dead inside the residence the following morning under circumstances investigators are still trying to establish.

Police sources were quoted by the paper as saying that Jonathan Bawado, a police officer who serves as Senator Umahi’s Personal Assistant and previously worked as his Aide-de-Camp (ADC) during his tenure as Governor of Ebonyi State, alerted medical personnel after Habbila was discovered unresponsive.

Subsequently, a doctor and an ambulance were dispatched to the residence, while Tobechukwu Godwin, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ohaozara Police Division, was notified of the incident, the report said, adding that at the hospital Chihurumnanya Alo, a Professor and Consultant Public Health Physician, Infectious Diseases Specialist and Chief Medical Director of the David Umahi Federal University Teaching Hospital (DUFUTH), Uburu, was also alerted about the incident.

The police who subsequently conveyed Habbila’s body to a mortuary, were said to have handed over the identification tag attached to Habbila’s to the Ebonyi State Police Command by the said DPO, as part of the ongoing investigation.

SaharaReporters, quoted a senior police officer, with knowledge of the case as saying: “The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Abakaliki,” but, however declined to provide further details, citing the ongoing investigation.

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Operatives break jinx! *Arrest eight terrorists in Oyo school kidnapping!

Published

2 days ago

July 10, 2026

Whirlwindnews

Unlike in other cases, security operatives in Nigeria have upped the ante by adding the arrest of perpetrators to the menu of rescue operations, with the announcement of the capture of eight terrorists who participated in the abduction of school teachers and students in Oyo State on May 15.

All the 46 pupils, students and teachers abducted by terrorists from three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, regained their freedom on Friday, after about 56 days in captivity, with several others reportedly also neutralised during the operation.

Giving a clue of what transpired during the operation, Bayo Onanuga, who broke the story of the feat, said it was the outcome of sustained security operations, which also foiled the attempt by the abductors to secure the release of one of their captured leaders.

Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, using his X handle to give details about the operation, said: “Finally, all the kidnapped pupils and teachers in Orire, Oyo have been rescued by our security agencies. In the course of the rescue operation, eight of the kidnappers were arrested and are now in DSS custody, while some of them were neutralised.”

“There was no quid pro quo in the rescue as one of the terrorists, a kingpin, that the kidnappers demanded his release, is being prosecuted for his atrocities. The security agencies will give full account soon.”

The victims were abducted on May 15 when heavily armed bandits attacked Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School, and L.A. Primary School in the Esiele and Yawota communities of Oriire Local Government Area, seizing dozens of pupils, students and teachers.

The abduction sparked nationwide outrage, with parents, labour unions, traditional rulers and civil society groups mounting sustained pressure on the authorities to secure the victims’ release.

The incident also triggered an indefinite strike by the Nigeria Union of Teachers in Oyo State over growing insecurity in schools.

President Bola Tinubu had condemned the attack and ordered security agencies to intensify intelligence-led operations to rescue the captives and bring the perpetrators to justice.

The President subsequently dispatched a high-powered Federal Government delegation to the affected communities, approved the deployment of specialised rescue assets and authorised the recruitment of 1,000 forest guards to strengthen security across Oyo State.

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