Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has declared that all governors in Nigeria’s southeast geopolitical zone, regardless of party affiliation, are united in their support for President Bola Tinubu.
In a statement released by Bayo Onanuga, the president’s special adviser on information and strategy, Umahi made the comments during a feature interview for an upcoming State House documentary marking Tinubu’s second year in office.
According to Umahi, the region is experiencing an unprecedented wave of federal attention under Tinubu’s administration, particularly in the area of infrastructure development.
“The Igbo man is enterprising and blessed with God-given wisdom. What Ndi Igbo seek is fairness, a Nigeria that treats every zone equally. That is what President Bola Tinubu is doing,” Umahi stated.
He pointed to Ebonyi State, his home state, as a symbol of this transformation, noting that federal projects—once absent—are now in full swing.
“Before, when I was governor and deputy governor, one of our major concerns in Ebonyi State was the lack of federal presence. But today, nobody remembers that issue anymore. Under President Tinubu, at least four federal projects are ongoing in Ebonyi,” he said.
Umahi listed several key federal projects across the region, including the Port Harcourt-Enugu expressway, Enugu-Abakaliki highway, Enugu-Onitsha road, Onitsha-Owerri expressway, and the Second Niger Bridge—of which he revealed 30 percent of the cost has already been paid by the federal government.
He also highlighted a political consensus forming in the region. “All the governors in the southeast, regardless of party, are working with the president. We’re even planning a summit to bring together all southeast leaders to endorse the president for the 2027 elections formally.”
The minister urged opposition figures in the region to set aside personal ambitions and rally behind the president for the good of the people.
“Leadership is not about self—it’s about the people. If someone else is already doing what you would have done for your people, support him,” he said, calling on former Anambra governor and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to join hands with the president.
“He must be part of this summit where we will collectively endorse President Tinubu for the 2027 election. I say it boldly: the Southeast is happy with the President,” Umahi concluded.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
