2027: Tinubu’ll win presidential race spiritually, physically — Umahi insists

By Uchenna Okeh

Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has declared that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will win the 2027 presidential election, saying the victory would come “spiritually and physically.”

Umahi made the declaration at the weekend while speaking with journalists during an inspection of ongoing construction works on the Benue axis of the Calabar-Ebonyi-Benue-Kogi-Nasarawa-Abuja Superhighway.

The Minister, however, used the inspection to direct contractors handling the strategic highway to open multiple work fronts and intensify construction activities, particularly on Section Two of the project.

He ordered contractors to deploy adequate manpower, equipment and other resources to accelerate the pace of construction while ensuring that existing buildings along the alignment were adequately protected.

Umahi said the directive became necessary because of engineering challenges encountered along the route, including rivers, swampy areas and other difficult terrain.

According to him, contractors must devise engineering solutions to overcome the difficult portions without compromising the quality, durability and standard of the highway.

“I do not believe in engineering that anything is impossible. We’ve sat this morning and we’ve agreed how to cross the bridge,” the Minister said, directing the contractor handling Section Two to open at least three work fronts.

He also directed that no building should be demolished simply because it falls within the proposed alignment, insisting that proper technical assessment must first be carried out.

“My directive is that no building should be touched. Even if it’s within the alignment, I have to come and realign it,” he said.

Umahi explained that the Ministry would continue to make necessary technical adjustments to the alignment, particularly around sharp curves and built-up areas,

He stressed that such modifications would be made without imposing additional costs on the Federal Government under the project’s financing arrangement.

The Minister further directed the contractor to intensify work around river crossings and other difficult portions of Section Two, adding that temporary motor ability would be achieved where necessary to facilitate movement while permanent construction works continue.

He commended the project team for the progress recorded since his previous inspection and urged the contractors to sustain the momentum.

At Section One of the project, the Controller of the Calabar-Ebonyi-Benue-Nasarawa-Abuja Federal Superhighway, Engr. Maxwell Oko, disclosed that the section, being handled by Infiouest, covers about 123 kilometres and had attained 39.33 per cent completion.

Oko said construction was progressing with rigid pavement technology from the Ndibe Beach axis through Timber Junction, Akpoha, Amudo and Onueke, among other communities.

He disclosed that Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavement (CRCP) had progressed to about kilometre 43 on both sides of the alignment, with further construction planned towards Onueke Junction and subsequent sections.

The Project Manager of Section One, Mohammed Moustapha, said the contractor was intensifying work on the rigid pavement and would extend the current work front around kilometre 43 towards Onueke Junction before advancing through the succeeding kilometres.