Umahi Tackles House C’tee Chairman Over Allegations Of Mispriority In Project Execution
By Alice Etuka, Abuja
The Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi has refuted the allegations of mispriority labeled against him by the Chairman of the House Committee on the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Hon. Remi Oseni and challenged him to an open debate on the true state of things.
Umahi stated this on Monday, October 28, 2024 at a press conference in Abuja.
TheFact Daily gathered that the Lawmaker had queried the Minister’s modus operandi during an interactive session on Thursday.
“So, if you are telling us the reason you have failed in fixing our road infrastructure is because of resources — don’t let me take you up on that because you concentrated your energy as a minister on less priority issues.
“Don’t discuss resources. All the roads that we have across the country have failed. If you are addressing the existing roads with the resources that you have, Hon minister, we will not be where we are. Don’t discuss resources”, Oseni said.
Umahi in defense insinuated that the Lawmaker was angered because he wasn’t sacked alongside some of his counterparts.
“He was there to discuss the Budget 2025 of FERMA, and he went into the job of Senior Committee and House Committee on Works, and it’s very unfortunate. And from what he gathered, he thought possibly working with some contractors who are not happy with the reform in the Ministry of Works, he thought I was going to be removed. And so his anger is, why was I not removed? Because that’s the basic reason to have veered off totally from the issues he called for discussion”.
Responding to the allegations of mispriority, Umahi averred, “he said I was involved in less priority issues in Ministry of Works. Yes, he’s right. Because he sounded as if he was representing the contractors.
“It’s very unfortunate that a lot of contractors, who by right are not supposed to be contractors, are going up and down, inducing people to be talking anyhow. If you have issues with the Minister of Works, don’t quote it.
“Engage us, even publicly. Let us discuss it. But I know that I know this job and I know that I’m doing this job very well. So I believe strongly that the man should tell the public what his problems are. He’s not telling the public what his problems are.
“We are working very hard. Mr. President is supporting us. Mr. President is committed to, you know, reviving the infrastructure that failed”.
He disclosed that he inherited 2,604 projects with a total cost of 13 trillion and a debt of 1.6 trillion to contractors as of May 29, 2023.
He said that ministry under his watch had achieved over 85 per cent completion of road projects, adding that the President approved 300 billion for palliatives, resulting in the procurement and execution of more than 330 road projects, palliatives, and bridge repairs.
The Minister explained that, considering variations due to subsidy removal and dollar fluctuations, the total project cost now exceeded 19 trillion.
Speaking about his achievements, he noted that there were notable improvements in the Northwest, such as the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Road, and completion of roads in states like Zamfara, Lagos, and regions like South-South and South-West.
