Minister of Works, Engr Nweze David Umahi, has said despite the skyrocketed cost of materials in the construction industry projects under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu are done with the lowest cost, high quality and speed.
He also faulted former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s claim on the 700 km Lagos-Calabar coastal road project.
Umahi, in a statement by his media aide Orji Uchenna Orji, said Atiku’s submissions were gross misrepresentation of the facts and figures and a ploy to mislead Nigerians by darkening counsel without knowledge.
“He doesn’t understand figures. I am going to run figures for him to understand, and he will understand how prudent the administration of President Tinubu has been. He will understand how prudency is taking the centre stage in this administration.
“The president has once queried me on the cost of ongoing projects nationwide. I had to analyse every basic rate of construction materials to arrive at our unit rates. I showed it to Mr. President. He still thinks I should bring down the cost of the projects. At the same time, the contractors are crying that I am oppressing them so much by reviewing the costs of their projects downward. They lamented that what they were getting before, they are no longer getting it. They cried out. But when I run the figures, Nigerians will see what this present administration is doing.
“So, I’m not here to run the figures now. I will do that in a press conference on my visit to Lagos from 10th April, 2024 to 12th April, 2024,” he said.
On the economic importance of the coastal highway, the minister said, “I will tell you the economic benefits of the project and how the coastal road is tying the entire country together. It’s not just South-South and South West. It is tying the North and South together. We are starting a project from Badagry to Sokoto, and we have a spur on this coastal route to that route and the African Trans Sahara Road that is passing from Enugu to Abakaliki to Ogoja to Cameroon which has a spur to the North”.
He added “former Vice President Akitu Abubakar, may not know that the third section of the project is starting in Calabar by July 2024,” he said.
According to the statement, Umahi stated these during his inspection visit to the on-going rehabilitation of Enugu – Port Harcourt dual carriageway section 4 (Aba – Port Harcourt) handled by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation Ltd (CCECC) on 8th April 2024.
On the progress of work at the East West Road section III, he said, “The reinforcement is very good, the concrete is very good, the speed is not very good, so they have to increase their speed. If RCC doesn’t increase their pace, I will take out a portion of this road and give it to another contractor. We will not want contractors to stay on a job like this 15 km dualization for two years or more.”