Enugu-Onitsha Expressway: Call Umahi to order, Southeast APC group urges Tinubu

The Southeast All Progressives Congress (APC) Renewal Movement (SARM) has raised concerns over the political consequences of the halt in construction on the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway, warning President Bola Tinubu of potential electoral fallout in the region.

In a statement issued on Sunday, National Coordinator of SARM, Mr. Osita Okechukwu, accused Minister of Works, David Umahi, of sabotaging the only critical road project the Southeast secured under the Road Infrastructure Tax Credit Scheme (RITCS).

According to Okechukwu, the 110-kilometer expressway, which was being constructed under MTN’s RITCS funding, had been progressing smoothly until Umahi issued what he described as an “unfair and unnecessary stop work order.”

The decision, he alleged, has worsened the plight of motorists, leading to increased hardship and fatal accidents on the highway. He cited a recent oil tanker explosion near Enugu that claimed multiple lives, including an entire family returning from South Africa.

SARM called on President Tinubu to intervene, arguing that the stalled project is dampening grassroots mobilization for the APC in the Southeast ahead of the 2027 elections.

“Some of our political opponents are insinuating that Umahi is acting on Tinubu’s orders, which I believe is a blatant lie,” Okechukwu stated. “He has not only stopped work but has altered the project scope, scrapping critical features such as the 9th Mile Flyover and solar-powered streetlights meant for security.”

He further questioned the minister’s funding priorities, noting that Umahi had failed to fix a collapsed bridge on the Enugu-Port Harcourt road for over a year but is now threatening to revoke MTN’s N202 billion contract for the Enugu-Onitsha road.

“Mr. President, please intervene to stop this assault on the economic development of Ndigbo,” Okechukwu pleaded, urging Tinubu to uphold his administration’s promise of inclusive infrastructure development in the region.

When contacted for a response, Umahi dismissed the allegations with a brief remark: “Shame on them.”