The Minister of Works, Sen. Dave Umahi, has rejected a claim on the neglect of the North by the current administration.
The former Kano State governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, had on Thursday alleged that President Bola Tinubu’s administration has concentrated development in the South to the detriment of the Northern part of the country.
But in a statement on Saturday, Umahi described Kwankwaso’s comments as false and misleading.
The former Ebonyi State governor stressed that Northern Nigeria, especially the North-West, where Kwankwaso hails from, has benefitted more from federal road projects under Tinubu’s administration than any other region.
He said: “The President has been fair.
“In fact, out of the major legacy projects of the current administration, the North has a greater share.”
The minister listed the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway spanning 1,068km, with 378km ongoing in Kebbi and Sokoto States, as one of the legacy projects.
He noted that the superhighway was longer than the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
Umahi revealed that the North has 756km of road construction (measured in three-lane equivalent) at the moment, while the South has 409km.
He listed some of the major projects ongoing in the North as Sokoto–Zamfara–Katsina–Kaduna Road (275km dualised), Abuja–Kaduna–Kano Road (350km dualised), BUA Tax Credit Road through Jigawa, Katsina and Kano (256km dualised), and Zaria–Hunkuyi Road (156km).
Others are – Kano Northern Bypass (49km), Bama and Dikwa roads in Borno State (100km), Borno Ring Road (110km), Malando Road in Kebbi (76km), Benue to 9th Mile (250km dualised), Lokoja–Okene Road (86km dualised) and Kaduna to Katsina road sections (under construction).
In the South, the minister mentioned the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, Oyo–Ogbomoso–Ilorin Road, Enugu–Onitsha Road, East-West Road (South-South), Second Niger Bridge access roads (in both Anambra and Delta states) and Bodo–Bonny Road in Rivers.
He said many of the projects were inherited from the last administration, adding that Tinubu’s administration ensured funding for their continuation.
He said: “In the NNPCL Tax Credit projects inherited from the past administration, the North got 53 percent and the South 47 percent.
“The South-East and South-West only received 4% and 5% respectively.”
He also said that, contrary to Kwankwaso’s claim, the President had shown commitment to national development.
“Our President is fair and God-fearing. I encourage Nigerians to disregard Senator Kwankwaso’s misleading statement.
“President Tinubu is committed to the unity and development of Nigeria,” he concluded.
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