The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has said that President Bola Tinubu’s administration has made significant progress in the South-East, particularly in Abia State.

Mr Idris made the remarks on Thursday in Umuahia while presenting the administration’s midterm report.

He was represented by Head of the Abia Centre, Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, Gloria Abiakam. 

According to the minister, the current administration prioritised key sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, education, and transportation in the region, marking a shift from previous neglect.

He cited the inauguration of youth agriculture support programmes, undergraduate education loans, the “Skill-Up Artisan” initiative, and affordable housing schemes as examples of federal government interventions.

Mr Idris noted that the South-East now had a cancer treatment centre in Enugu and upgraded mother-and-child centres in Abia and Imo states, which were already helping to reduce preventable deaths.

He said, “These projects are not just milestones on paper; they are visible, tangible results of governance at work. The best has yet to come.’’

He urged citizens of the region to take advantage of the initiatives and support efforts that would bring development closer to communities.

The event featured a lecture by the Zonal Manager of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Abia/Imo Zone, Sam Oditah, titled “South East Milestones of President Bola Tinubu’s Administration.”

Mr Oditah acknowledged the administration’s achievements in sectors such as agriculture, railway expansion, roads, and skill acquisition, despite scepticism in some quarters.

However, he called on the president to urgently address the dilapidated Umuahia–Ikot Ekpene and Umuahia–Bende–Ohafia–Arochukwu federal roads.

In his remarks, His Royal Majesty, Okwu-Mgba I of Olokoro Ancient Kingdom, , Eze Boniface Izuogu. thanked Mr Tinubu for his efforts, noting that leadership required patience and consistency.

He urged the president to treat all regions fairly in terms of appointments and infrastructure.

Also speaking, Blessed Amalambu of the Christ Generation Ministry and Secretary of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Abia Central Zone, lauded the administration’s agricultural policies but raised concerns over insecurity.

He decried the destruction of his cassava farms by herders and urged the government to curb the activities of violent herders to protect investments in agriculture.

(NAN)