Minister of Works, Sen. David Umahi has recommended torchlight for student leaders to be able to see the road projects of the federal government clearly.
A coalition of Nigerian student leaders under the auspices of the Joint Council Leadership Students, had commenced mobilisation of students nationwide to protest what they described as deplorable condition of federal roads across the country, leading to recurring deaths of students and other Nigerians.
The nationwide protest is scheduled to hold on 4th February, 2026, to press the federal government to prioritize federal roads and intervention of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and removal of the Minister of Works over alleged incompetency.
But Umahi while reacting to the student leaders plan, accused them of blackmail.
He said President Bola Tinubu met terrible roads and debts across the nation which he has adequately addressed and still addressing.
He said the students leaders should be given torchlight to be able to see all the things the President has done in road infrastructure if they can’t see well.
Umahi spoke in his Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government home town, Ebonyi State on Monday.
“I read im social media where students said there are bad roads in campuses and they want to protest against me, that is their right to protest.
“It is my right to explain that if they had protested in the past 30 over the kind of roads that we met, may be things would have been better.
“So, it is good to create the awareness on the kind of terrible roads and debts President Bola Ahmed Tinubu inherited in 2023.
“It they are looking to blackmail, if they are looking to make money of me, you are wasting your time. I am very thick and no one can blackmail me and I report to God almighty and to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. So, there is nothing you do that shakes anybody.
“The most important thing is that the President is very committed to right the wrong on our road infrastructure and this week, we are not resting, we are moving from one site to the other. And so, those who want to protest, it is their right to protest. But if they can’t see in the afternoon, they should give them torchlight, they will be able to see”, the former governor said.
Field Supervisors(South East) of the federal ministry of Works, have also reacted to the planned nationwide protest by the students.
In a statement signed by Francis Nwaze, Coordinator of the Supervisors, they expressed surprise at the planned protest.
The supervisors said roads are being constructed and rebuilt under the present administration in the country and wondered why the planned protest.
“While concerns about road safety are legitimate and shared by all responsible Nigerians, it is important to state clearly that the sweeping conclusions and demands contained in the statement are misleading, poorly contextualised, and ignore current realities.
“From several quarters, including professional bodies, road users, host communities, state governments, and independent infrastructure observers, the Honourable Minister of Works has received consistent commendation for his hands-on approach, engineering depth, and unprecedented pace of intervention on federal highways nationwide. These praises are not political slogans; they are grounded in visible work on the ground.
“It must also be emphasized that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is barely two years and a few months old. The deplorable condition of many federal highways did not originate under this government. What this administration has done differently is to confront years of neglect head-on, mobilize contractors back to site, redesign failed alignments, and restore highways that had virtually collapsed.
“Today, almost all major federal highways across the six geopolitical zones are under active construction, rehabilitation, or reconstruction, with many completed and others already at advanced stages of completion.
“Beyond road construction, the President, HE Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Honourable Minister of Works, HE Sen. David Umahi, also deserve recognition for introducing critical security innovations tied to highway safety, including CCTV monitoring centres, solar-powered street lighting, improved road furniture, and coordinated security measures aimed at protecting lives and property along major corridors. These interventions directly address the very safety concerns being raised.
“Given these realities, it is difficult to ignore the possibility that the student leadership involved may either be poorly briefed on current developments or, more troubling, bankrolled and mobilised to deliberately blackmail the Honourable Minister with exaggerated and unpopular narratives. Either scenario does a disservice to genuine advocacy.
“In the South East alone, several critical federal roads are actively progressing. Notably are the roads mentioned in their statement, the Enugu–Onitsha Expressway, Onitsha–Owerri Road, and the Enugu–Port Harcourt Expressway have all reached advanced stages of completion, with visible improvements already easing travel time, safety, and economic movement. These are not abandoned projects; they are active sites with measurable progress”, Nwaze said.
He called for constructive engagement
by the students leaders which he said should be anchored on facts and fairness.
”Nigeria needs accountability, yes, but it also needs honesty and responsibility in public discourse, especially from groups whose voices carry influence. History will judge performance by work done”, he said.
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