Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, has declared that demands for a separate Biafran state are no longer justified, highlighting the “unprecedented integration” of the South-East into Nigeria’s development agenda under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Umahi, a former Ebonyi State governor, made the remarks while inspecting ongoing federal infrastructure projects in the region. He said that previous feelings of marginalisation, which had fueled separatist agitations, have eased due to significant federal investments.
“There will be no need for Biafra again. In the past administration, our people felt very much marginalised… that was the reason some people were agitating for Biafra, but I can say today that we are well integrated into the mainstream of the nation, Nigeria,” he stated.
The minister credited the Tinubu administration for reviving stalled projects and ensuring the South-East benefits from national development, citing ongoing works including:
- Enugu–Port Harcourt expressway
- Owerri–Onitsha expressway
- Section 2B of the Second Niger Bridge (₦176 billion)
- Enugu–Abakaliki road (₦172 billion)
- Ndibe Beach, Ebonyi to Benue border project (123 km, ₦424 billion)
- Depot Junction flyover in Eke-Obinagu
Umahi emphasised that federal roads are being built to last 50–100 years and praised completed projects like the Artisan Bridge in Enugu.
He urged the South-East to pursue political relevance through strategic engagement rather than rhetoric, describing his support for Tinubu and the defection of the Enugu State governor to the All Progressives Congress (APC) as deliberate, strategic moves.
“Even those that don’t want us to take our rightful position as South-East people, God has opened the time. This is our time, and this is the time that God has sent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reintegrate our people,” Umahi said.
His remarks underscore the Tinubu administration’s commitment to equitable national development and its potential to ease separatist sentiments in the South-East.
