{
  "id": 3942641,
  "title": "Onoh laments exclusion of South East in N610bn infrastructure approval",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/28/onoh-laments-exclusion-of-south-east-in-n610bn-infrastructure-approval",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-28T10:17:43.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Daily Trust",
    "slug": "daily-trust",
    "url": "https://dailytrust.com/onoh-laments-exclusion-of-south-east-in-n610bn-infrastructure-approval/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Denge Josef Onoh, Chairman of the forum of former Enugu State House of Assembly members, has vehemently criticized the Federal Government's recent ₦610.13 billion infrastructure approvals, asserting that the South-East road network was entirely overlooked. In response to the Federal Executive Council's (FEC) announcements, Onoh expressed that allocating the entire South-East region a mere 50-year private concession for a trailer park is an affront to the region's economic prowess. Upon scrutinizing the approved projects, Onoh identified a \"discriminatory, uneven distribution of funds.\" Despite the ₦610.13 billion package, the South-East only received ₦19.70 billion, earmarked for the Aro-Ngwa trailer park in Abia State, a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) concession, signifying no direct federal capital expenditure. Onoh presented a percentage breakdown, demonstrating that projects approved for individual states in other regions far exceed the South-East's lone allocation:\n\n* Ekiti State Road Reconstruction (₦159.83bn) - 711.3% greater than the South-East allocation.\n* Lagos–Ibadan Expressway Maintenance (₦96.43bn) - 389.5% greater than the South-East allocation.\n* Ogun State Ilara–Iselu Road (₦94.24bn) - 378.4% greater than the South-East allocation.\n* Rivers State East-West Road Section (₦74.51bn) - 278.2% greater than the South-East allocation.\n* Niger State Suleja–Minna Road Section (₦56.75bn) - 188.1% greater than the South-East allocation.\n* Ekiti State Phase II Road Rehabilitation (₦54.52bn) - 176.8% greater than the South-East allocation.\n* Ogun State Abeokuta–Iboro–Ilaro Road (₦54.12bn) - 174.7% greater than the South-East allocation.\n\nOnoh surmised that the approved Aro-Ngwa trailer park serves as an economic dead-end for the South-East region, rather than a developmental venture. He contended that the project will act as a revenue extraction point, penalizing indigenous logistics companies and exacerbating structural inflation for Eastern traders. Onoh firmly believed that if the current administration genuinely adheres to the Federal Character principle, the South-East must be granted direct federal funding for capital-intensive infrastructure. Ultimately, Onoh implored the current administration to recognize the South-East as a vital contributor to the nation's economic development, advocating for an inclusive governance approach instead of relegating the region to a secondary position. \"Because bread is meant to be dry, firm, or toasted. Once bread is thoroughly soaked in water, it loses its structure, turns into unappetizing mush, and becomes practically useless and unpalatable. My region deserves better, Mr. President,\" Onoh concluded.",
  "summary": "The Chairman of forum of former members of Enugu State House of Assembly, Denge Josef Onoh, has criticised the Federal Government’s recent ₦610.13 billion infrastructure approvals, saying South-East road network was completely excluded. Reacting to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) announcements, Onoh stated that reducing the federal infrastructural intervention for the entire South-East region…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}