3 weeks ago
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The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has responded to the comments made by the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency, Remi Oseni, who claimed that the minister had misplaced his priorities over the state of roads across the country.
Last Thursday, the committee chairman accused the minister of neglecting his duty and priorities at an oversight meeting. Oseni emphasised that Umahi had “no plan for the nation.”
He said, “You are not here to tell us what we already know in the area of resources. 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.”
However, Umahi, responding to the claims at a press briefing held at the Ministry headquarters on Monday in Abuja, stated that Oseni had not attained half of what he had achieved in life.
Umahi said he would not join issues with the lawmaker out of the respect he has for the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the National Assembly.
The minister also accused the rep member of representing the interest of aggrieved contractors affected by ongoing reforms in the ministry.
He said, “Let me say that I was not physically present at the meeting, nor was my permanent secretary because nobody can talk to me like that in my presence. It’s not possible.
“And from what I gathered, he is possibly working with some contractors who are not happy with the reform in the Ministry of Works, or he thought I was going to be removed. And so his anger is, why was I not removed?
“For the respect of Mr. Speaker, and of course the Senate President, and the National Assembly Institution that I belong to, I will refrain myself from joining issues with him. He said I have failed.
“No one in life ever said I have failed and I have never failed in anything I am involved in, and if he likes, he should go and check my pedigree. I believe that God has to be with him to attain half of what I have attained in life. So, I will not join issues with him because I have tremendous respect for Mr Speaker and the National Assembly.”
Umahi further stated that the ministry will no longer attend oversight meetings.
He added, “When he invites us, of course, we will not attend any invitation unless Mr. Speaker directs otherwise.
“Because this is the same man that had a public function in Lagos, and he was insulting me. And again, he was insulting me.
“By next week, we are going to publish what success we have achieved in those N300bn projects. We used it to procure over 330 roads, palliatives, and bridge repairs, which were properly procured and properly executed.
“Today, we have achieved over 85 per cent completion. And so when we publish it, I want him to go there, I’m going to put the phone number of the contractors and then put the status, and he can verify.
“And when he verifies, I request that he tenders an all-reserved apology because all he did was to represent the contractors and incite the public against the government that brought him in.”
