During the routine inspection of federal road projects ongoing across Ebonyi State, the Honourbale Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi was once again confronted with a mind bugging question by journalists who monitored the progress of the job with him.
It was not the first time the question was being thrown at the Roadmaster, however it was the moment Umahi was waiting to do justice to this question that begs for answers.
A journalist had asked the Minister why he seems to be the only one always at the rooftops shouting and campaigning for the reelection of President Bola Tinubu in the South East and beyond. The journalist went further to ask
"It seems you are the only one always campaigning for Mr. President, why are other leaders especially from your APC silent in the South East about the reelection of President Tinubu?
The Minister in his usual element chested the question and went ahead to say that what Mr. President has done for Ndigbo can make even a dumb to speak. He said it was not a matter of being or staying on the fence, rather it is a collective call for Ndigbo to speak and stand by the president especially in the face of the development he has brought to the country and South East in particular.
He said, though the South East Governors are campaigning seriously for Mr. President, irrespective of party, his conviction is derived from love already shown Ndigbo by Mr. President.
He said "I have not even started, I will continue to sing the praises of Mr. President whom I call the Biafra we needed. I will stand at the rooftops to shout it and those who think I am shouting should know that I have not even started. I am ready to engage anyone in any debate on the reason Ndigbo must not make the mistake of 2023 which I consider accident of history. In 2027 general election, Ndigbo will give President Tinubu over 95% of their votes.
"I have been around as party chairman, deputy governor and governor for eight years and I know what it means to have zero project by the Federal government in your area or state, but today, all the legacy projects going across the country are also going on in the South East.
Going by what the Minister said, it means his conviction about the reelection of President Tinubu is based on track record development already on ground. He enumerated so many ongoing projects in the zone that are more than enough reason to support the president to complete those projects.
If going by the indices of what's on ground, Umahi believes that even a president of Igbo extraction with exception of himself, having the heart to deliver, may not do what President Tinubu is doing for the region.
Therefore, it is imperative that Ndigbo should at this time of Nation history etch themselves in the history of solidifying developmental democracy against ethnic politics and get deeper into national integration.
It's not a question of Nigeria President of Igbo extraction but that of competence and accomodation that the present government has shown Ndigbo. However , at the right time with right political strategy, Ndigbo will get their rightful place in Nigerian democracy.
Beyond the rhetorics, the appointment of an Igbo son as minister of Works was a begining of a turning point in the history of Nigeria democracy since the return to civil rule in 1999. Umahi does not only fit into the description of a consolation of a people hitherto relegated to the back, but an answer to debilitating infrastructural deficiency.
He does not lure the region with empty hand, he simply shows Ndigbo the way ahead of 2027 with evidence of roads, bridges already completed, linking the region that was locked into a dot to other regions, through construction of bridges of unity, linking the South East to South South through Ndibe Beach and linking the region to North Central through the construction of the Coastal highway through Benue and Kogi States.
What this simply means is that through the appointment of Umahi, the South East has been opened up and properly linked to other regions in terms of accessibility, and this according to him was made possible because of the love Mr. President has for the region.
The resultant effect of the new and modern South East region under President Tinubu is that it will open the economic floodgate and increase productivity and connectivity across the country. The Ndibe Beach bridge, connecting Ebonyi and South East in general to Calabar and to Abuja promises to be one of the new roads to ease traffic and reduce time of going to Abuja, the nation's capital.
The Enugu-Awka-Onitsha Expressway has been completed with ancilieray works on the second carriage way, making life easier for Ndigbo and visitors who now spend lesser time on the road to Onitsha or outside the region.
The dualization of the Enugu Abakaliki expressway with a beautiful flyover at Eke Obinagu-Emene to ease the traffic has gained profitable progress with the flyover completed and awaiting commissiong.
Enugu-Umuahia Porthacrcort expressway is another dream that has come through. The completion of that road among other projects in the region is one of the reasons Umahi, against every odd and castigation has remained the Chief parrot of the present Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
He's not just an actor or the man on whose strong shoulders the burden of dearth of infrastructure rests upon, he is the face of this administration, and ambassador of Hope and deliverer of the message of hope from the seat of power.
No doubts, Umahi is yet to be countered on the gains he has made under President Tinubu as Works Minister. He is yet to be countered with any facts showing otherwise, why Ndigbo should not vote for President Tinubu. No one has yet accepted the challenge for a debate from Umahi on counter reasons the South East region will not vote for Tinubu.
Now, in the face of the obvious conspiracy of silence from other major political actors from the zone, what quickly comes to mind is the song made in Rivers State which admonishes that if you follow Tinubu, no follow corner corner..Dave Umahi tell us something.
This ironical song carries with itself, the lyrics that exposes double standards or standing with your boss against all odds.
Ndigbo should understand that the time is here and there is no sitting on the fence. If you follow Tinubu, it is the time for you to confess it through your actions and words. You must be that apostle who will stand with the master without fear or favour. You must speak now that the entire nation is looking up to you.
The campaign or support for the reelection of President Bola Tinubu goes beyond parading empty convoys with bogus portfolio, it has come to the level. We must calibrate our support for Mr. President and measure up if not above other regions, reasons are evidently available on the sands of time.
In a nutshell, what Umahi is doing and the political war cry for Ndigbo to be wiser this time is to save the region from further plunging into political misfortune through miscalculation or politics driven by sentiment and ethnicity.
All the political actors from the zone must now take a stand and join Umahi in educating the zone to understand that what Ndigbo needs now is political strategy that will place them on solid pedestal to rediscover themselves and blossom in a united Nigeria where every region is treated fairly and equally.
Against the backlash and attacks from some misinformed elements from the zone, Umahi's voice echoes at the mountaintops, calling on his people to be wiser this time and he has unapologetically done this against the barrage of attacks from various social media platforms by some of his people who see his advocacy as a sellout.
The time is now, that all the leaders from the zone from the Governors to members of the National Assembly and State Assemblies to join Umahi. Captains of Industry and indeed everyone must eschew politics of envy and stand behind the Minister to galvanize the zone for victory in 2027.
Again, let them know that if you follow Tinubu, no follow corner corner.
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