Nigerian Minister of Works, David Umahi, has disclosed that he personally footed the bill for President Bola Tinubu’s banners mounted on the newly repaired First Niger Bridge, maintaining that public money was not diverted to campaign for the President on the federal landmark.
Umahi maintained that the display of Tinubu’s images should not be interpreted as the Ministry of Works using federal infrastructure exclusively for the President’s political promotion.
Umahi said images of governors from the Southeast and South-South had also been displayed, including governors who do not belong to the APC.
His comments follow controversy over the display of Tinubu’s images on the First Niger Bridge, which links Onitsha in Anambra State with Asaba in Delta State.
The Federal Government recently reopened the bridge following 38 days of emergency rehabilitation, with Umahi saying the intervention included asphalt resurfacing, median demarcation and other safety improvements. Further works, including surveillance cameras, solar lighting and maintenance of parts of the steel structure, were also outlined by the minister.
Umahi had previously publicly called for Tinubu’s images to be displayed on the bridge while urging residents of the Southeast to recognise the administration’s infrastructure projects in the region.
In the ARISE News interview, however, he sought to distinguish the political banners from the Federal Government’s expenditure on the bridge itself, saying he had paid for the displays from his own money.
“I paid for it,” Umahi reiterated.
What You Should Know
Minister of Works David Umahi has addressed public criticism regarding political promotional materials placed on a vital national highway, stating clearly that taxpayers did not sponsor the display.
- Positive Impact: Reassures citizens that public treasury funds are not being mismanaged for partisan political campaigns on infrastructure projects.
- Potential Concerns: Highlights ongoing public sensitivity and scrutiny regarding the blending of political imagery with public infrastructure across the country.
