The Chairman of the Forum of Former Members of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Denge Josef Onoh, has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration of excluding the South-East from the latest Federal Government infrastructure approvals estimated at ₦610.13 billion.
Onoh, in a statement reacting to the recent approvals by the Federal Executive Council (FEC), described the alleged exclusion of the region from major road and infrastructure investments as a “dangerous economic provocation,” warning that continued disparity in the distribution of federal infrastructure could undermine the economic development of the South-East.
He said a comparative assessment of the approved projects indicated what he described as a substantial imbalance in infrastructure allocation, with the South-East receiving what he considered a token intervention.
According to him, the only project listed for the region among the latest approvals was a proposed ₦19.70 billion trailer park at Aro-Ngwa in Abia State.
Onoh argued that the project, representing about 3.23 per cent of the total approvals, could not be equated with direct federal capital expenditure on major road infrastructure in other parts of the country, particularly as it was structured as a 50-year private concession under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.
He cited the ₦159.83 billion reconstruction of roads in Ekiti State, ₦96.43 billion maintenance of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, ₦94.24 billion Ilara-Iselu Road project in Ogun State and ₦74.51 billion East-West Road section in Rivers State as examples of projects approved for other regions.
Other projects, he said, included the ₦56.75 billion Suleja-Minna Road section in Niger State, ₦54.52 billion Phase II road rehabilitation project in Ekiti State and ₦54.12 billion Abeokuta-Iboro-Ilaro Road project in Ogun State.
Onoh maintained that the disparity warranted urgent scrutiny, particularly against the backdrop of the South-East’s strategic contribution to Nigeria’s manufacturing, commercial and industrial activities.
‘A lorry depot cannot build an economy’
The former South-East spokesman of the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council said the proposed Aro-Ngwa trailer park was inadequate to address the region’s broader infrastructure deficit.
“A lorry depot cannot build an economy,”
Onoh said, stressing that the South-East required substantial investments in roads, rail transportation, industrial infrastructure and energy to unlock its economic potential.
He argued that while a trailer park could provide logistical support, it could not, on its own, deliver the high-value employment, industrial expansion and manufacturing capacity required to transform the region's economy.
Onoh further warned that establishing a major trailer park without simultaneously rehabilitating the federal highways connecting the South-East could worsen traffic congestion, accelerate the deterioration of surrounding roads and potentially create additional security and logistical challenges.
He contended that instead of reducing the cost of doing business, the facility could impose additional financial burdens on traders and logistics operators if operated primarily as a revenue-generating venture without corresponding investment in the region's transportation infrastructure.
Demands intervention in South-East
Onoh called on the Federal Government to initiate what he described as a comprehensive infrastructure intervention across the South-East, arguing that the region should be integrated more substantially into the country's national infrastructure development framework.
He specifically demanded direct federal funding for the completion and rehabilitation of the Enugu-Onitsha and Enugu-Port Harcourt expressways, which he described as critical economic corridors for the region.
He also advocated the extension of standard-gauge railway infrastructure to major commercial and industrial centres, including Aba, Nnewi and Onitsha, saying efficient rail connectivity would facilitate freight movement, reduce pressure on highways and lower transportation costs.
According to him, the integration of South-East industrial clusters into the national gas network would also provide manufacturers, foundries and processing industries with cheaper and more reliable energy.
Onoh further urged the Federal Government to fully operationalise the Isiala Ngwa Dry Port in Abia State as a functional customs-cleared inland port, arguing that such a facility would reduce the region's dependence on maritime cargo routed through Lagos and improve trade efficiency.
On environmental challenges, he called for emergency federal funding to tackle gully erosion and other ecological threats confronting communities in Anambra, Imo and Abia states.
‘My region deserves better’
Onoh urged President Tinubu’s administration to treat the South-East as a strategic component of Nigeria’s economic development rather than a region deserving what he described as “token interventions.”
He maintained that the principle of federal character and inclusive governance should be reflected in the equitable distribution of critical national infrastructure.
“My region deserves better, Mr. President,”
Onoh said, arguing that the South-East should not be offered “a slice of soaked bread” when what the region requires is sustained investment capable of strengthening its economic foundations.
He said the Federal Government’s infrastructure policy should prioritise projects capable of stimulating production, expanding industrial capacity, creating jobs and strengthening economic integration across the country.
