By Charles Pemu 
The Minister of Works and former Governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi, has strongly argued that the call for a separate Biafran State is no longer necessary, asserting that the Igbo people have achieved unprecedented integration into Nigeria’s national development agenda under President Bola Tinubu.
Making the comments while inspecting major ongoing federal infrastructure projects across the South-East, Umahi contended that the primary factor fuelling separatist movements—the sentiment of marginalisation—has significantly eased due to the substantial and sustained commitment to regional infrastructure development by the current administration.
“There will be no need for Biafra again,” Umahi declared. “In the past administration, our people felt very much marginalised and that was the reason some people were agitating for Biafra. But I can say today that we are well integrated into the mainstream of the nation, Nigeria.”
He expressed gratitude to President Tinubu, emphasising that the South-East geopolitical zone is “comfortable” and “very happy” with the integration efforts.
The Minister presented a list of key federal projects, stressing that many had stagnated for over a decade before the Tinubu administration intervened. He highlighted the government’s focus on durable infrastructure, specifically concrete roads designed to last between 50 and 100 years, similar to the strategy employed on the coastal highway.
Key projects cited by Umahi include the rapid rehabilitation and construction of critical arteries such as the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway and the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway. He also pointed to the near-completion of major segments, noting that a section being handled by MTN under RCC is slated for completion by February next year at a cost of ₦202 billion. Another 72-kilometre road section handled by SKCC, costing ₦150 billion, has already received 30 per cent payment.
Further infrastructural wins highlighted include the completion of the Artisan Bridge in Enugu, the ongoing construction of the biggest flyover in the South-East at Depot Junction in Eke-Obinagu, and the ₦176 billion Section 2B of the Second Niger Bridge. Umahi also referenced a major ₦424 billion “legacy project” covering 123 kilometres from Ndibe Beach in Ebonyi State to the Benue border.
“These are the reasons why I said we do not have any reason again to agitate for Biafra,” he reiterated, asserting that President Tinubu has commenced a “great and beautiful thing” for the region.
Strategy Over Sentiment
Umahi also called for a new approach to political relevance, arguing that the South-East must pursue its rightful position through strategic action rather than “sentiment and venomous statements.” He framed his own support for President Tinubu and the recent defection of the Enugu State governor to the All Progressives Congress (APC) as calculated political decisions.
The Minister concluded by describing the present moment as a turning point, believing that God has “opened the time” for the South-East people to take their rightful position, with President Tinubu acting as the agent of that reintegration.