HONOURABLE MINISTER OF WORKS, SEN UMAHI CELEBRATES EID AL-KABIR WITH THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY IN EBONYI STATE, ENJOINS ALL NIGERIANS TO IMBIBE  THE VIRTUES  OF SACRIFICE,CHARITY, HARMONIOUS CO-EXISTENCE WHICH ARE THE LESSONS  OF EID AL-ADHA The Honourable Minister of Works, His Excellency Sen. Engr. Nweze David Umahi CON has urged Nigerians to reflect on the religious significance of Eid al- Kabir and the reinforcing values of sacrifice, gratitude, charity and compassion, devotion and unity among one another, and quest for national harmony which are the hallmarks of the Festival of Sacrifice celebrated by the Muslim faithfuls all over the world.  He gave this advice when the Muslim community in Ebonyi State and other stakeholders came to solidarize with him in his residence in Abakaliki on this important holiday in the Islamic calendar. The Honourable Minister commended the sense of unity and love among the Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba communities who are Muslim faithfuls in Ebonyi State and charged them to continue to support and pray for the Renewed Hope administration of His Excellency President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, who is working magnificently to return the country to the part of honour and glory.  He further urged them to continue to support the administration of the Governor of their host State, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Bldr. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, FNIOB GGCEHF, who has remained inclusive and steadfast in the discharge of his People's Charter of Needs. "President Tinubu is trying very much to help this country. We know that things are hard. And if he doesn't do what he's doing, in the future, we may not have a country called Nigeria. So, the much his disciples can help, they try to help. That's why I rushed home, so that I will join my government, to assist you people, to buy food, to celebrate. And so, I want you to pray for Mr. President and pray for our Governor. In Ebonyi State, there's no discrimination, whether Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba or other tribes. We are one people." Similarly, the Honourable Minister celebrated with former State Executive Council members and other stakeholders who visited to bid him welcome to the State on the Salah holiday.  He charged them to continue to be very loyal, responsive, and supportive to the administration of Mr. President and that of the Governor of Ebonyi State, noting that the APC administration at the Federal and State levels is working concertedly and inclusively to meet the yearnings of Nigerians. "Let's try to know that we are a community of one people. Let's try to know that North, South, Central is just for the convenience of our political administration. Let's be united, for if you are segregated, you are not helping the government."  He commended the State Government and the stakeholders for the peace in the State. "I want to commend you people and commend the government again for the peace that is in the State. And I want you to continue to support and pray for him." In his response, the spokesman to the Muslim faithfuls, Alhaji Idris Datti Suleiman thanked the Honourable Minister of Works for his usual sense of benevolence to the Muslim community. He particularly thanked him for the huge Salah gifts and donations he made to them, including the women, youths, and others whom they represented in the visit. He assured the Honourable Minister of the unwavering support and solidarity of the Muslim community in Ebonyi State to the administration of Mr. President and that of their host Govermor.  "Permit me to say the truth. I was born and brought up in Ebonyi. I grew up here. We have so many Honourable Ministers since the creation of Ebonyi State to date. No one has shown such a kind gesture as you, the Honourable Minister of Works.  Not any Minister has ever invited the Muslim faithfuls in his house to celebrate a Muslim festival.  In fact, your own is quite unique because you invited us at a time that every Nigerian needed help. Thank you sir"   ...

HONOURABLE MINISTER OF WORKS INSISTS NIGERIAN ROADS MUST LEAD THE ECONOMIC REVOLUTION AGENDA OF PRESIDENT ASIWAJU BOLA AHMED TINUBU GCFR AS FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CONSTRUCTS A MEGA TWIN FLYOVER TO FREE YEARS OF HEAVY CONGESTION AT EMENE IN ENUGU STATE, TO GIVE IMPETUS TO COMPETITIVE DEVELOPMENT IN SOUTH-EAST. In his passion to work day and night, workdays and public holidays to meet the desire of Nigerians in having an enduring network of road infrastructure that will stimulate Nigeria's economy, the Honourable Minister of Works, His Excellency, Sen Engr. Nweze David Umahi CON made it today, Sunday, 16/06/2024 to Enugu State to inspect some Federal Government's projects in the State.  This is coming after his marathon inspection visits to some Federal Government's projects in Lagos State, including the ongoing Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway yesterday, where he announced the decision of the Federal Government to reduce the entire corridor of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, from phase two, section two of the coastal route to effective pavement of 55km including the train tracks. Upon arriving Enugu State, the Honourable Minister visited  the ongoing reconstruction  of the collapsed New Artisan bridge at  Enugu-PH Expressway, Enugu capital  city. He moved to inspect the ongoing construction  of a 23-span mega twin  flyover bridge at Emene in Enugu State.  This flyover bridge is described as the best thing that never happened to the people  of Enugu and neighbouring States until  the coming  on board  of the Renewed Hope administration of President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, who saw the need to decongest  the traffic  ridden axis of Enugu city to give way to stronger socio-economic competitiveness within the region. It would be recalled that the road which links to many suburbs within the State and the neighbouring States has for many years been a nightmare for vehicles, some of which ply the route through Benue State to far parts of Northern Nigeria and some others to parts of South-South through Cross River State. The administration of Mr. President thought it expedient, in keeping with his agenda of robust economic revolution for a sustainable future of our country, to construct for Enugu State a mega twin flyover that will beat the elegance and utility of all flyovers ever built in South-East.  This flyover, when completed, will change the face of Enugu State, attract trade and investment to the State, reduce accident and insecurity, improve safety and increase patronage to the economic facilities, including Airports in Enugu and Ebonyi States, and that of other neighbouring States. Mr. President means well for Nigeria and is determined to revolutionize the economy through road infrastructure development.  The Honourable Minister has this as a task that must be accomplished. He knows the job. His passion to deliver is unequalled.   ...

FEDERAL MINSTRY OF WORKS ADOPTS MORE WORKEABLE MEASURES TO END DELAYS OF CONTRACTORS  IN PROJECT  DELIVERY, EXPRESSES COMMITMENT  TO CREATIVITY, INNOVATIONS AND THINKING  OUT OF THE BOX TO MEET THE ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE  NEEDS OF NIGERIANS As part of strategic  infrastructure  development  masterplan  of the Renewed Hope administration of His Excellency President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, the Federal Government  has adopted workeable measures  to end the old order of unnecessary delays in the execution  of road infrastructure  projects by  contractors and has taken steps to rejig the monstrous contract price variation  clause which has been a major clog in the wheel of progress of project execution over the years.  This was contained in the briefing of the Honourable Minister of Works, His Excellency Sen. Engr. Nweze David Umahi CON, during a meeting  with contractors handling  Federal Government's projects, held at the Ministry's Headquarters, Mabushi-Abuja on 10th  June 2024. The Honourable Minister expressed  the urgency of thinking realistically, creatively, innovatively, and thinking  out of the  square to  overcome  the funding  challenges that face road infrastructure development  in Nigeria.  He narrated, " When the Renewed Hope administration came on board on 29th May 2023, Mr. President  inherited over 2600 ongoing projects  from the past administration amounting to over N15 trillion, out of which only about N2 trillion was certified  and paid.  And so we now have ongoing  projects  of N13 trillion, including  budgetary projects, NNPCL, SUKUK, Presidential Initiative  Development  Projects, other Tax Credit  Scheme Projects  of NLNG, MTN, Dangote,  BUA, Mainstream and projects  under EPC +F, PPP"  He stated that the  aftermaths  of fuel subsidy and the forex forces affected  drastically  the contract cost elements and pricing of which Variation on Price( VOP) could not provide a remedy especially  for jobs awarded so many years ago, and where  VOP on contracts was sometimes  hitting  500%. He further  stated  that in looking  for a solution, the Ministry  sought for and got Mr. President's   approval to give an envelope in the 2024 budgetary  provision to keep all the inherited  projects  alive, believing  that more  funding of such projects could  come  by thinking  outside the box.  The new projects under the 2024 projects, including the constituency projects of the National Assembly, also have poor budgetary  allocations. In tackling responsibly the challenges  of funding, price  variation, and delays  in projects delivery, the Honourable  Minister introduced  responsive  approaches which were adopted as the Ministry's measures to overcome  the challenges  of road infrastructure development in Nigeria. Such measures  include but are not limited to reviewing  the VOP clause  to ensure workability  in line with the economic realities,  making  it a policy  that all contractors handling  two carriageway projects (with the exemption of the 3 legacy projects) must first complete  one side of the two carriageways and thereafter  continue  with the second part subject to availability of fund, advancement  of funds after  award of contract  is subject to conditions contained  in the bid document, going  forward. Other measures adopted were that contractors must have a timeline for project delivery, and every contractor shall have a duty to maintain  the road under construction until the entire project  is completed  and delivered.  A deadline shall be given for all ongoing projects, and with time, all projects that have no funding  shall be stood down, but projects  will be selected  Zone by zone or State by State for funding. In applying these measures,  he emphasized that all contractors will be treated equally. "One thing that is our policy is that no contractor in the Ministry of Works will be treated differently.  Whether you're an indigenous contractor or you're a foreign contractor, insofar as you can turn cement to the right grade and place it rightly. You're a good contractor; we check, and it's good."  The Honourable Minister noted the various  projects  completed  by contractors  and other major ones to be ready for commissioning  from July, 2024 and directed  the Directors in charge  of each Geo-Political  Zone to officially and publicly commission  the various  projects completed  in their  respective  Zones.  He further directed  that committees  made up of the Ministry's  Engineers and the  Media correspondents  be set up to pay inspection  visits  to the respective  zones to assess  the level of project performance in all the federal government projects being  handled  by the Federal Ministry of Works  under the Renewed Hope administration.   ...