The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has expressed concern over calls for his resignation following the deplorable condition of roads across the country, saying he does not know why his position has become a source of worry to many people.
The minister spoke while addressing journalists at the flag-off of the Federal Government’s takeover of the temporary rehabilitation of the Benin-Asaba Highway.
Umahi, who said he opposed the concession when he was appointed minister because of the cost, added that the road was concessioned by the previous administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
‘Let me explain that this concession was executed by way of contracts by the previous administration. And even as the Minister of Works, I opposed it because I know the cost of one kilometre of road if you want to do it well.
‘First, we had a fight for over six months because I didn’t want this road to be reconstructed. Now they removed asphalt pavement because they had signed an agreement with the previous administration to have the road done.
‘And when we asked them to start, the Governor of Edo State and myself, we didn’t quite understand the PPP arm of the Ministry of Works.
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‘We were here in October and we saw that contrary to the agreement and the specification and general conditions of contract, the concessionaire lacked engineering capacity and engineering knowledge, and even finance.
‘We saw them removing the asphalt where asphalt pavement was still stable,’ he added.
He said the Federal Ministry of Works had taken over the immediate palliative rehabilitation of the road following public outcry over its deplorable condition.
He said the decision to rehabilitate the road was taken in the public interest.
Meanwhile, Umahi said the 2027 general election was not the turn of the Igbo to produce the President of Nigeria.
Umahi spoke on Thursday while flagging off the Federal Ministry of Works’ formal takeover of the temporary rehabilitation of the Benin-Asaba Highway in Benin City.
The minister was apparently reacting to a statement allegedly credited to Peter Obi, former Governor of Anambra State and presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), that Umahi ‘is not his match.’
The former Governor of Ebonyi State, who defended the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu against growing criticism, said ‘it’s not the turn of the Igbos yet’ to produce Nigeria’s president.
According to him, when Obi said that he was not Umahi’s match, it took him 10 minutes to think about the statement.
‘Does Peter Obi have a stronger family background, intellectual credentials or record of service to the South-East?
‘Is it what we have done for the people of the South-East? Is it what we did when we were governors? So, when you say he’s not my match, put it side by side and tell me which area Peter Obi is better than me.
‘What we are saying is that it’s not the turn of the Igbos yet. The South-East would eventually have its opportunity to produce the president, but the current political moment belongs to Tinubu.
‘I want to be president, but it’s not yet our turn. It’s the turn of President Bola Tinubu,’ he said.
While rejecting what he described as attempts to portray the Tinubu administration negatively, the minister argued that the Federal Government’s infrastructure projects were benefiting communities across the country.
The minister, who stated that political opportunities would eventually come for the South-East, added that ‘when it is our turn, at the time of God, He makes all things beautiful.’
He further urged supporters of the Tinubu administration to defend the President’s achievements in the South-South, South-East and other parts of the country.
‘We are saying that the President has done very well. In South-South, in South-East and in the entire geopolitical zone, he deserves continuity, he deserves support,’ the minister added.
Also speaking, Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo alleged that those who fought against former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015 were also ganging up against President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general election.
Okpebholo, who said there was no vacancy in Aso Rock, opined that ‘you don’t change a working president.’
‘People that want to contest now against Tinubu have all ruled in one way or the other, either in low capacity or in higher capacity.
‘While they were there, they fought former President Goodluck Jonathan because he wanted to build Almajiri schools to educate youths and Almajiri so that there would be no problem like what we are having today.
‘But they fought him and made sure he lost the election. The same set of people are still ganging up again to fight President Tinubu so that he would not come back. There is no vacancy in Aso Rock. Asiwaju’s eight years must be complete,’ he added.
Okpebholo, who did not name those he alleged were ganging up against Tinubu, however, advised them not to waste their money in the name of contesting the election, saying politicians would only collect their money and would not vote for them.
‘Our President is not a supermarket man, but supermarket people want to rule Nigeria now, even when there is no vacancy in Aso Rock.
‘Let them wait. When it is the turn of supermarket people, and if there is no technocrat, they can contest for president.
‘If others had performed and done what Asiwaju is doing today, he wouldn’t have much work to do,’ he said.