The Honourable Minister of Works, Senator Engr. David Umahi, CON, was on Thursday, July 2, 2026, honoured with the prestigious traditional title of Ngorog Ngasmwa (Lover of Ngas) by the Pankshin and Kanke Joint Traditional Rulers Council during the flag-off of the Rehabilitation of the Babban Lamba–Sharam (Phase II) Road in Kanke Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The honour, conferred by the Chairman of the Pankshin and Kanke Joint Traditional Rulers Council and Ngolong Ngas, HRH Nde Jika Golit, was in recognition of Senator Umahi’s commitment to infrastructure development and his role in bringing the important road project to the area under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
While conferring the traditional title on the Minister, the royal father described him as a trusted friend of the Ngas people and welcomed him into the Ngas nation. “You come to Ngasland not as a stranger, but as an honoured ally. In deep appreciation of this assignment and in recognition of your role in flagging off this landmark project within my Chiefdom, I am honoured to confer on you the prestigious Traditional Title of Ngorot Ngasmwa (Lover of Ngas). I therefore welcome you today as a distinguished member of my Council of Traditional Title Holders.”
The royal father further declared: “You are welcome to Ngas Land. It’s our honour that you have become an Ngas son. You are now the same as our son, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda. He will teach you the language.”
Responding to the honour, the Honourable Minister of Works, Senator Engr. David Nweze Umahi, CON, expressed profound appreciation to the Pankshin and Kanke Joint Traditional Rulers Council for the unexpected recognition bestowed on him. He also commended the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing him as an energetic and divinely inspired leader. “I thank you for the honour done to me. I want to tell you that your son, now my brother, is very energetic and divine, the man that will deliver Mr. President come 2027. Thank you again,” the Minister said.
Welcoming the Minister as the newest Ngorog Ngasmwa of the Ngas nation, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, who hails from Dungung in Kanke Local Government Area of Plateau State, paid glowing tribute to Senator Umahi’s performance as Minister of Works and the confidence reposed in him by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. “My brother, my friend, the workaholic Minister, the man that has made the difference, the clear difference in terms of infrastructure transformation in Nigeria, you are constructing thousands of roads across Nigeria. It has never happened before. You have done what is incredible. You are the signature boy of Mr. President.”
He continued: “We are proud of you and we remain very proud of you. Coming from the South East, the first Minister of Works from the South East appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the first significant Minister from the South East, and you have demonstrated that bringing you was never a mistake. Thank you for the great work you are doing on behalf of Mr. President.”
Governor of Plateau State, His Excellency, Barr. Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, also paid glowing tribute to the Honourable Minister of Works, describing him as one of the brightest performers in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration. “The starboy of the administration nationally, our own elder brother and friend, Engr. David Nweze Umahi, we want to welcome the workaholic Minister.”
Speaking on the significance of the Babban Lamba–Sharam (Phase II) Road project, the Governor said the intervention goes far beyond the construction of a highway, noting that it will unlock economic opportunities and improve the lives of the people. “This road we are flagging off today is not just a road; it’s an opening of opportunities. It’s an opportunity for networking, a transit route to greater possibilities.”
Governor Mutfwang thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for approving the rehabilitation of the road and reaffirmed Plateau State’s commitment to his re-election. “For us in Plateau State, it’s Tinubu or nothing.”
Former Governor of Plateau State and Senator representing Plateau South Senatorial District, HE Senator Simon Bako Lalong, also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for introducing concrete pavement technology on major federal highways and applauded Senator Umahi for driving the administration’s infrastructure revolution.
Describing the Minister as “Mr. Magic,” Senator Lalong said the remarkable transformation taking place in the nation’s road infrastructure has earned him widespread admiration. “Honourable Minister, Mr. President has introduced something novel in Nigeria. Everybody would say that you are Mr. Magic. Yes, indeed, you are Mr. Magic. Many people don’t know concrete roads. Today, concrete road is what we are going to see on this road.”
The former Plateau State Governor recalled that barely 24 hours earlier, President Tinubu’s administration had flagged off another landmark project, the Akwanga–Jos–Bauchi–Gombe–Biu–Maiduguri Superhighway, describing it as a game-changing infrastructure that will connect several states and local government areas across the country. “Yesterday, we flagged off the one we have been praying for, the Akwanga–Jos–Gombe–Biu–Maiduguri, connecting so many local governments and states. We have one thing to tell Mr. President: we are going to renew our mandate. In Plateau State, our own is further endorsement.”
