Concrete roads, CCTV, no excuses – Umahi
Amarachi Ehia, Abakaliki
Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi weekend says President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has broken the long-running cycle of failed road contracts in the Southeast, unveiling tougher engineering standards, strict deadlines and new technology to secure highways across the region.
Speaking after inspecting federal road projects linking Enugu, Ebonyi, Anambra and the Niger Delta, Umahi declared that the era of poor-quality highway construction was over, warning contractors that substandard work will no longer be tolerated.
He announced a nationwide policy shift halting the scraping of old asphalt and introducing a new design standard that combines concrete shoulders, cement-stabilised carriageways, stone base foundations and solar lighting to deliver longer-lasting roads.
On the Enugu–Ebonyi corridor, Umahi confirmed that four kilometres have been completed and declared that Phase One of the N180 billion project must finish this year, noting that the work will be phased to match available funds and avoid waste.
He praised Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah for dualising the airport junction-to-boundary stretch, saying the collaboration between states and the Federal Government is speeding up delivery across the Southeast.
Umahi also announced the rollout of CCTV, solar lights, patrol vehicles and surveillance boats along major federal highways, beginning with the Second Niger Bridge and Third Mainland Bridge, as part of a new push to cut crime, vandalism and illegal activities on national road assets.
He revealed that ₦480 million has already been spent to deploy CCTV on the Second Niger Bridge, with the Federal Government funding police patrol vehicles and paying ₦3 million monthly to keep the system operational with a five-minute emergency response target.
Turning to the Enugu–Onitsha expressway, Umahi declared it the most meaningful proof of Tinubu’s commitment to the Southeast, insisting that the president has succeeded where “eight previous governments failed” by pushing the dualisation to active completion.
He said the 107-kilometre highway is funded through MTN tax credits worth ₦202 billion, with RCC, Nigercat and Bestaf handling various sections, and confirmed that the first completed 15 kilometres of concrete carriageway will be ready within weeks.
Umahi said full completion will end decades of suffering for travellers and businesses in the region, adding: “If you can’t see the work yet, you will feel it. This is the Southeast’s long-awaited breakthrough — delivered by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
