TRENDING STATEMENT OF A MAN PURPORTING TO BE ADDRESSING THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF WORKS MISGUIDED, SELF SERVING AND VICIOUS PROPAGANDA TYPICAL OF A PROXY SPEAKING FOR NONCONFORMING CONTRACTORS. The attention of the Honourable Minister of Works, His Excellency, Sen. Engr. Nweze David Umahi, CON has been drawn to a trending statement of a man purporting to be addressing the Honourable Minister of Works over the state of roads in Nigeria and which was credited to the Chairman, House Committee on FERMA, Hon. Engr. Aderemi Abasi Oseni. The Honourable Minister views this unprovoked attack as an inconceivable embarrassment demeaning to his person and the Federal Ministry of Works as neither he nor his Permanent Secretary was in such a meeting where the said Chairman of House Committee on FERMA was said to be addressing the Honourable Minister of Works.  In a news conference dated 28th October 2024, the Honourable Minister stated that it was no doubt akin to darkening counsel without knowledge for the Honourable Chairman, House Committee on FERMA to vilify  him  over the bad state of Federal roads inherited from previous administrations numbering over 2,604  without deferring to the records of various interventions made by the Renewed Hope administration which have made a great difference in the public transport trajectory of Nigeria. The Honourable Minister has however chosen to refrain from joining issues with the said House Committee Chairman on FERMA because of the respect he has for the hallowed institution of the National Assembly, the Senate President and the Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives. He said, "For the respect of Mr. Speaker, and of course the Senate President and the National Assembly that I belong to, I will refrain myself from joining issues with him. He said, I have failed, and if a blind man is to assess you, your guess is as good as mine because if he has no knowledge of anything, then his knowledge becomes his god so I will not join issues with him.” He views the action of addressing him as if he was before the House Committee on FERMA as deliberate, ill-motivated, misguided, self-serving and nothing  but a vicious  propaganda typical of a proxy representing  the interest  of nonconforming  contractors  who have constituted themselves  into adversaries against  the Federal Ministry of Works for insisting  on best practices in project pricing, variation on price and foreign exchange  differentials. There is no doubt  that the vituperations of the House Committee Chairman on FERMA were from the abundance  of his heart, but to say that all the roads across the country have failed for the failure of the Honourable Minister of Works  to address the  existing road  with the resources  approved or for his failure  to deploy  the N300 billon supplementary fund approved for him or that he is concentrating his energy on the less priority  issues shows that the House Committee Chairman on FERMA either has little  knowledge of the volume of  road infrastructure deficits inherited from successive administrations and cost requirements for road construction or that he deliberately  refused, ignored and neglected to appreciate the Renewed Hope administration's intervention milestones or he is playing to the gallery on the prompting of the nonconforming contractors. He said," And let me say to him that the projects Mr. President inherited were a total of 2,604 projects. As of May 29, 2023, the total cost was N13 trillion. That's what the President inherited and a debt to contractors of N1.6 trillion. And when you look at the variation by the reason of the subsidy removal, by the reason of the floating of the dollar, you'll find out that if you review all these projects, you will see that you will get over N19 trillion for the total ongoing projects. Mr. President did what no other President has done. He manifested all the projects in the 2024 budget with the hope to give him time to look for resources, including loans, to do these projects. I wasn't in that meeting where the Honourable House member was said to be addressing me, and there is no way I was going to complain of resources to fix our roads because Mr. President has given very special attention to the Federal Ministry of Works. He has paid so much attention to the sufferings of Nigerians vis-a-vis the road situation, and the Ministry is not the only Ministry  in Nigeria. Mr. President  has a lot of other challenging situations and competing demands, yet he has given priority attention  to the Ministry of Works"  He noted that the utterances of the Chairman, House Committee on FERMA were no doubt aimed at inciting  the public against  the government that brought  him on board as it is a common sense that a person of his level and profession ought  to know the method  statement required of road construction. He said, “There is no way you expect some projects that have lasted 20 years, 18 years, 17 years to be done in one year. And if he says he's an engineer, he should try and understand the processes that are involved in the Ministry of Works. It's different from his procurement of fertilizer with his constituency project. They are two different things. You have to go to the field, you have to measure the project, you have to design it, and you have to do in-house procurement to look at it.” He further said, “The method deployed in the construction will require you to do earthwork, to compact etc and if you don't give it one month and you start to put stone base and asphalt, it will fail. So, those times that you are preparing the sub-grade, the sub-base, the base course before the pavement, what do you call it? It is not valued by people like him as progress made" Furthermore, the Honourable Minister views it as a gross violation of parliamentary procedure for the Chairman of the House Committee on FERMA to invade the legislative powers of the Senate and House Committees on Works which have been carrying out oversight functions on the Ministry and are conversant with the achievements and challenges of the Ministry. He carpeted the Chairman of House Committee on FERMA for acting outside  the  legislative competence  of his committee.  Highlighting the modest achievements of the ministry across the six Geo-Political zones, the Honourable Minister thanked the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR for the unprecedented attention he has given in bridging the funding gap on the inherited projects. He said, “What we did is that we used over 90% of these funds to keep all the inherited projects alive as directed by Mr. President because a project has to be alive and in the budget before you can look for funds to assist it to be completed. That's what we've done, and so for those who are bitter that we have no projects to award to them, this is the reality.” He further said, “ Over 2,600 projects plus 330 supplementary projects plus the new projects in 2024 is not a tea party. It requires commitment, and it requires dedication, which we are doing. We work on Saturday, Sundays, and Public Holidays, and  somebody will say we are giving attention to less priority issues without mentioning those less priority issues that we are giving attention to.”   ...

Engr. Umahi Flags Off Construction of Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway  - Describes project as a jinx broken and true testament of Mr. President’s love for the North  The Minister of Works, His Excellency, Sen. (Engr.) Nweze David Umahi has described the award of the contract for the construction of Sokoto - Badagry Superhighway as a forty-eight year jinx being broken and a show of love for the people of the Northern part of the country by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR. He disclosed this at the flag off ceremony for construction works on the Section I, Phase 1A of the project in Ilelah town, Sokoto State on Thursday, 24th October, 2024. Engr. Umahi informed the gathering that the idea of the project was first muted during the first tenure of former President Shehu Shagari but could not be started earlier than the present, describing it as a payback to the people of Sokoto for the massive support given to the Tinubu Presidency at the 2023 polls, while also soliciting for same and much more during the 2027 elections. He further described the epoch-making event as a manifestation of one of the Legacy Projects of Mr. President, spanning over 2,000 km with the North having 52% and the South 48. The Minister revealed that the choice of rigid pavement i.e. concrete in its design and construction is informed by longevity, while that of the contractor, Messrs Hitech Construction (Nig.) Ltd is premised on capacity to deliver according to specifications and on schedule due to availability of both brand new equipment and requisite manpower. It has done a similar pavement work on the Apapa - Oshodi Expressway in Lagos State and is doing same on the Lagos - Calabar Coastal Highway. While appreciating the unwavering commitment and support of Members of the National Assembly for the President’s infrastructure renaissance, he equally thanked the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) for the promise to provide security for the entire stretch of the corridor, while the work lasts. In welcoming guests at the occasion, the Deputy Governor, Sokoto State and Commissioner of Works, Hon. Idris Mohammed Danchadi alluded the project to “a dream come true” for the loyal people of the State. Briefing the massive crowd at the Ceremony, the Director, Highways, Construction and Rehabilitation, Engr. Bakare Umar and the representative of the Director, Highways, Bridges and Design, Engr. Musa Seidu described the 1,068-kilometre Sokoto - Badagry Superhighway as a Trade, Transport and Security (TTS) Greenfield corridor traversing Sokoto state through Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Oyo, Ogun and terminating in Lagos State. They opined that the project seeks to reduce transportation costs, improve trade, connectivity, efficiency and economies of scale around the corridor and beyond. The 120-kilometre, 6-lane highway, 3 lanes on each side is to be separated with beautiful median landscaping, solar street lighting and modern digital signages, adding that it will link various existing inter-border towns and routes, provide quick access, enhance border settlements for trade, security support and enablement. The length of Section I, Phase 1A starts from Km. 0 + 000 (Ilelah, Sokoto State) and ends at Silame on the Sokoto/Kebbi State border, according to them. In separate Good Messages, the Minister of Budget and National Planning, H.E. Sen. Abubakar Bagudu disclosed that at a Town Hall Meeting in July, 2024 at Birnin Kebbi, the Minister spoke about plans to embark on the project. He said that the flag-off represents the vision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR to transform Nigeria and a proof that building viable and lasting infrastructures is possible.  Also another former Governor of Kebbi State and Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Works, H.E. Sen. Adamu Aliero stated that upon completion of the Superhighway, travel time between Sokoto to Lagos will be drastically reduced by 48 hours, adding that dams for irrigation and electricity generation and rail lines are amongst its integral parts. The Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, Sen. (Barr.) Onyekachi Peter Nwebonyi dubbed the Minister of Works as “Mr. Projects,” further assuring Nigerians of getting value for their money. While the Vice Chairman, House Committee on Works, Hon. Usman Banye said it was a rare honour and a privilege to be a part of the epoch-making ceremony, also described the project as a catalyst for economic growth and a testament to Mr. President’s desire to better the lives of the citizenry. Speaking, the Minister of State for Works, Barr. Mohammed Bello Goronyo revealed that the project is a clear testament of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the present Administration. He further stated that, as a Member of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), he has heard the Minister spoke about the project in Council for a record three times, which is a demonstration of his, as well as the President’s love for Northern Nigeria, also a passion for infrastructure development. On his part, the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Alh. Sa’ad Abubakar promised to gather brothers and sisters in Sokoto and its environs to assist the Ministry in the delivery of the project, which is very dear to the people of Northern Nigeria. He used the opportunity to admonish leaders to, always, prioritise the welfare of the populace in their deeds. In his Speech, the Sokoto State Governor, H.E. Dr. Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto, FCNA, who flagged off the project, on behalf of the President, was full of praises for the Federal Government. While mentioning that the gigantic road project, when completed, will link the state with the Central and Western parts of Nigeria, he promised to provide adequate security cover throughout the length and breadth of the alignment within his jurisdiction. The Executive Governor also, specifically, expressed the sincere gratitude and best wishes of the entire people of Sokoto to Mr. President for adding yet another Ministerial slot to the State in yesterday’s cabinet reshuffle.   ...

JULIUS BERGER PLC URGED NOT TO RENEGE ON THEIR COMMITMENT TOWARDS COMPLETING THE REHABILITATION OF THE 82 KM SECTION II OF ABUJA-KADUNA- ZARIA- KANO ROAD.  - AS THE WORKS MINISTER, SEN. UMAHI CHARGES THE NEW MANAGING DIRECTOR OF JB PLC TO BRACE UP FOR A REALISTIC CONTRACT PRICING IN DEFERENCE TO NATIONAL ECONOMIC RECOVERY PLANS. The Honourable Minister of Works, His Excellency, Sen. Engr. Nweze David Umahi, CON has for the umpteenth time called on Julius Berger Plc. to show corporate patriotism by accepting the Federal Government’s approved reviewed total contract sum of ₦740, 797,204,713.25 (Seven Hundred and Forty Billion, Seven Hundred and Ninety-Seven Million, Two Hundred and Four Thousand, Seven Hundred and Thirteen Naira, Twenty Five Kobo for the completion of the rehabilitation of the 82 km section II of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano road, contract No.6350. This call was made during the courtesy visit of the new Managing Director of Julius Berger Plc, Dr. Pier Lubasch, who was accompanied by the outgoing Managing Director, Dr. Lars Richter at his office, Federal Ministry of Works Headquarters, Mabushi Abuja on 22nd October 2024. He lamented that the delay in mobilizing to the site despite the approved funds by the Federal Executive Council is causing untold hardship to the road users and that the Federal Government is at the receiving end of the situation.   In the Honourable Minister’s Words “So if Berger is not doing it, then let's have other people to do the job and within the time that we can control price. We've had more than 20 letters from Berger on this. It is a ping pong game from Julius Berger. The prices rose from ₦710 billion to ₦740 billion because of these delays. And if we continue the delays, it is the problem of the Ministry of Works.” The Honourable Minster expressed dismay that Julius Berger Plc, which has had years of patronage by Federal Government and sub-national governments, is not  realistic in the contract pricing, especially at this time of Nigeria’s economic challenges. He therefore urged the contractor to within 7 days accept or reject the approved reviewed contract sum for the completion of the rehabilitation of  section II of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano road or face contract determination as Federal Government cannot be held to ransom by the desire for unrealistic pricing and augmentation by contractors.  He said, “This offer is not subject to any condition. It's not subject to any condition that is being dished out here. It's taken as given after more than 14 months. I'm sorry, I have to sound this way because there must be an end to negotiation. If anybody says there shouldn't be an end to negotiation, then that person is not a business person. If you have negotiated for 14 months without any result, you should terminate the negotiation.” While welcoming the new Managing Director of Julius Berger Plc, the Honourable Minister reiterated the need for construction companies working with the Federal Ministry of Works to prepare to make sacrifices in terms of value for money and realistic contract pricing, so as to encourage the much needed road infrastructure revolution for the nation’s economic transformation which is a cardinal agenda of the Renewed Hope administration of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR He said, “already a number of Berger projects have been terminated because the site has been abandoned. And we needed to do something about it because Nigerians are suffering. Nigerians are crying, and they are insulting the President. We cannot allow that to be happening.” The new Managing Director promised to revert as soon as possible on the issues sought to be addressed and hoped that consensus would be reached for the project to take off without further delay. The outgoing Managing Director, however, noted that the essence of the courtesy call to the Honourable Minister of Works was to introduce the new Managing Director of the company.   ...