South East

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

The Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, has announced that multiple road projects in Nigeria’s South East region—first conceived during the colonial era but abandoned for decades—are now being actualised under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Speaking on Saturday in Ebonyi State during a tour of legacy projects with senior journalists and government officials, Umahi, a former governor of Ebonyi State, highlighted the Calabar-Ebonyi-Benue Trans-Saharan Superhighway as a strategic corridor for the South East, South South, and parts of the North Central region.

“It is a colonial-era dream long forgotten, but President Tinubu has revived it, and construction is now underway. We must thank him immensely,” Umahi said.

The minister reported steady progress on the project, noting that Section One, initially 118 kilometres, has been extended to 123.6 kilometres, with a contract sum of ₦45 billion. Dualisation works are ongoing.

Section Two, which runs from the Aboadi border through Benue and Kogi States to Nasarawa, has been awarded at ₦668 billion. Umahi said the project has reached about 28% completion in some areas, with work continuing through the rainy season due to President Tinubu’s adoption of concrete road technology.

“The Trans‑Sahara Superhighway is not just a road; it is an investment corridor that will catalyse trade in agricultural produce like cassava, yams, cashews, and palm oil from Cross River, Benue and Ebonyi, while also connecting Nigeria to Cameroon,” Umahi explained.

He noted that concrete road technology, pioneered by President Tinubu as governor, is now being deployed nationwide. Umahi expressed the South East’s gratitude for what he called an end to decades of exclusion. “All our forefathers sought—inclusiveness—we have it now,” he said.

During the tour, the team inspected critical bridges in Section One, concrete pavement on the Onueke section, and the 1.3-kilometre Ndi-Egbe Bridge in Afikpo LGA, Ebonyi, which links Ugep in Cross River State and is expected to be completed by December 2026.

The Onueke Flyover in Ebonyi’s Central Senatorial District, a ₦35 billion project, stands 90 metres high and is flanked by a 2.2-kilometre road on both sides, designed to decongest the highway.

Meanwhile, Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru declared that his state remains the safest in Nigeria, with no reported kidnapping cases since he assumed office. Receiving the media delegation in Abakaliki, Nwifuru thanked President Tinubu for his commitment to infrastructure development in the South East and highlighted numerous completed and ongoing projects across the state, including rural roads, primary health centres, and water schemes.

“We have kept contractors busy in the state with projects spread across every local government area. We do not even view the road projects as a big deal because we have road projects scattered all over the state,” Nwifuru said.

South East governors and leaders are scheduled to converge on Abakaliki on Monday for a major rally to endorse President Tinubu for a second term. Umahi said Governor Nwifuru would lead the people of Ebonyi State at the rally to show appreciation to the President.

The National Media Tour, organised by the Governor Hope Uzodimma-led Renewed Hope Ambassadors in collaboration with the Presidential Media Team, will proceed from Ebonyi to Enugu State on Monday, and later to Abia, Anambra, and Imo States.

By Ibrahim Yunusa

Senator Barinada Mpigi, who represented Rivers South-East Senatorial District, has passed away following a brief illness.

He died on Thursday at the age of 64.

The late lawmaker was a prominent political figure from Rivers State and served in Nigeria’s National Assembly for many years.

Before his election into the Senate, Mpigi was a member of the House of Representatives, where he represented his constituency from 2011 to 2019.

He was later elected to the Senate in 2019 and continued to serve his district until his death. His passing marks the end of a long legislative career dedicated to public service and representation of his people.

By Hadiza Abdulkadir

Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has warned that the conviction of IPOB leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu could worsen insecurity in the country. Obi issued the warning in a statement posted on his social media accounts, saying the development comes at a time when Nigerians are already struggling with economic hardship and widespread violence.

Obi said Kanu’s arrest, detention, and now conviction represent “a failure of leadership,” arguing that the concerns raised by the IPOB leader could have been addressed through dialogue and inclusive governance rather than coercion.

He cautioned that the government’s approach risks aggravating tensions in the South-East and further stretching security agencies already battling multiple crises nationwide.

According to him, nations facing similar internal tensions often adopt political solutions and negotiated settlements when legal processes alone cannot guarantee stability.

Obi urged the Presidency, the Council of State, and respected national figures to intervene and pursue reconciliation, warning that only justice, fairness, and meaningful engagement can prevent the situation from escalating into a deeper security challenge.

By Anwar Usman

The Nigerian Army has expressed serious concern over the scanty number of applications from Southeastern states for its 2025 recruitment exercise.

This was revealed by Brigadier-General Chima Ekeator, leading the recruitment enlightenment team on Sunday, inEnugu stating that Kaduna State has seen over 3,000 applications, while Enugu has only around a hundred, a trend observed across the region.

He urged Southeast youths to apply in greater numbers to fill their allocated quotas.Ekeator said that, “Our people are losing what rightly belongs to them. Each year, whenever a slot is being allocated to our people, we keep noticing that the number of applicants from our side is usually very poor.

“Take for example, Enugu State was given about 200 slots, but the people who made it were never up to 100 due to poor application. This has also become a recurring decimal in other states in the South East.

He further stated that “Today’s statistics on the number of applicants show that Kaduna has about 3,000 applicants, while Enugu is still battling with about a hundred; and by the time we are through with screening, you will not have enough to recruit from the state.”

He disclaimed the allegation that people of South East origin were being killed in their numbers in the Army because they were the first to be sent to the battle fronts.

He added that the region was also holding strategic positions in the Army presently.

Earlier, the Commissioner for Youths and Sports Development, Barr. Lloyd Ekweremadu regretted that the problem had persisted despite the collective efforts to reverse the trend and called for a review of modes of advertising the opportunities and the need to provide more details about the benefits of serving in the Army.

He stated that, “While seated here, I was just trying to conduct very quick research and it appears this same problem is happening worldwide and militaries across the world are deploying more cutting-edge strategies for recruitment because we are talking about the new generation that you communicate in a different way from the past”.

He stated Governor Peter Mbah’s readiness to ensuring that the state filled its quota, describing the military as a noble and highly respected profession across the world.