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Tag: David Umahi

  • Why Nigeria would have been worse without Tinubu – Umahi

    Why Nigeria would have been worse without Tinubu – Umahi

    Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi has said Nigeria would have been worse without Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu coming in as president.

    Umahi said this while speaking with newsmen in Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State on Sunday.

    He tasked Nigerian workers and citizens on improve productivity, saying such push would improve living standards of the people across the country.

    Umahi noted that hunger could go, “if we improve production by engaging in agriculture and step up daily working hours”.

    According to him, there is no way we can improve our standard of living, if we do not improve on our productivity and hours we put in.

    “We should be able to tell ourselves the basic truth,” Umahi said.

    On the proposed nationwide protest, Umahi said that such move was not good for the country.

    “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration has done good for the people. Let me tell you, Nigerians planning to protest against this administration are not patriotic.

    “There is need to change the level and hour of productivity to improve the standard of living.

    “By the way, what are the people protesting about? Without the coming of President Tinubu, we would have had a failed country.

    “The job is easy  when you are not the one doing it. When people say there is hunger, tell us the solution to the hunger. It is not just to be talking.

    “So we must engage ourselves into something extra, especially into farming. Even when I was in the private sector, I pushed for more hours of productivity.

    “Everybody must have work to do. We should not as a people, be buying pepper. We should not be buying tomatoes. We should be able to get bags and fill them with manure and plant these things at the front of our houses.

    “Improving standard of living is the responsibility of everybody. No matter how much the federal government injects into the system and palliatives, we must change our working hours.

    “We must change our level of productivity, because if we have all the working tools and you do not deploy it, there will be no result.

    “I support what the President is doing. The CNG buses, a lot of palliatives, trader monies, monies to the vulnerable families, agricultural inputs, giving out rice and fertilizers to our farmers, to indigent women and men.

    “These are very important. But we must be committed and faithful to it. We must change the narratives. Government cannot do everything for us.

    “We have to support  Mr President to change the course of things. This is my position. When people say they want to protest, they are just being mischievous,” Umahi added.

  • FG to construct new super highway linking 5 States to Abuja

    FG to construct new super highway linking 5 States to Abuja

    Minister of Works, Sen. David Umahi has announced plans by the Federal Government to construct 477 kilometre-six-lane Super Highway transversing five states to the Federal Capital Territory.

    Umahi made the disclosure on Wednesday while declaring open the stakeholders engagement on the alignment for Ebonyi’s 101km segment of the super highway.

    He said that the highways would transverse Cross River, Ebonyi, Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa to Abuja, and would economically revolutionalise Ebonyi and the interconnecting states.

    The minister said that the road was an agricultural and economic corridor that would support President Bola Tinubu’s drive for food sufficiency in the country.

    “The highway will be an agricultural and economically viable route that would enable Ebonyi for instance, evacuate farm produce such as rice, yams, potatoes to other states of the country.

    “These farm produce are found in large quantities in such routes but cannot be evacuated due to poor road network.

    “The road is a spur of the coastal highway that runs from Lagos to Calabar and was designed by the colonial masters to integrate the South East states,” he said.

    He called for support from all stakeholders to actualise the project noting that President Tinubu placed great emphasis of the infrastructural revolution of the country.

    “Nigeria is currently suffering from the effects of past neglects and this informed the bold, revolutionary decisions of the president.

    “There is no part of the south east zone that is not touched on road revolution:  Umuahia-Aba-Port Harcourt road, Enugu—Abakaliki road, Onitsha-Owerri-Aba roads, among others,” he said.

    Umahi allayed fears of compensation for people to be affected during the super highway construction and commended Gov. Francis Nwifuru for compensating those affected on the dualisation of the Enugu–Abakaliki highway.

    “We place emphasis on quality jobs which made us send all directors of the ministry to field, to supervise contractors,” he said.

    Gov. Francis Nwifuru in his remarks expressed delight over the project and commended Unahi for his untiring efforts to infrastructurally develop the state.

    “You laid an irreversible foundation for the state’s infrastructural development and this sustainance is in conformity with our administration’s people’s charter of needs mantra.

    “This mantra is anchored on human capital development and infrastructural development and we have recorded significant strides in these areas since assuming office,” he said.

    He assured of the state’s government’s support to ensure the realisation of the project due to its economic and social benefits to its people.

    Sen. Onyekachi Nwebonyi (APC–Ebonyi North) described the project as a ‘dream come true’, noting that his constituents had been yearning for the project.

    “I remember as a child, seeing my father and surveyors from the ministry of works in the old Anambra, surveying the road on the axis connecting my community and Benue.

    “That was why barely three months at the Senate, I relayed to the federal ministry of works that the road was opened in 1954 by the colonial masters and was of utmost importance to my people,” he said.

    Relevant stakeholders engaged in constructive deliberations on how to attain desired goals for the super highway.

  • FG reduces size of Lagos-Calabar highway

    FG reduces size of Lagos-Calabar highway

    The federal government has disclosed reducing the project’s size of the Lagos-Calabar highway project from 10 lanes to six as a cost-saving measure for the legacy project.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Minister of Works, David Umahi revealed this during a meeting with contractors in Abuja on Tuesday.

    Umahi also disclosed that the highway has been rerouted to avoid any possible damage to subsea cables belonging to telecommunication companies.

    The Minister said the government has allocated a total of N10 billion as compensation for property owners impacted by the demolitions required for the development of the 700km Lagos-Calabar Coastal highway.

    Speaking, Umahi said: “For the three legacy projects by the administration, the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway, we have cut down the project size to six lanes, especially from sections two, three, and four, it shows you that we mean business.

    “Some people have been writing that we have stopped the project. No project is stopped. As we are talking now, over four kilometres of concrete road has been completed on six lanes.

    “We had to establish a new path due to complaints made by MTN on its subsea cable and Okuaja community. We had to reroute not to the new alignment, not to the gazetted alignment but far away from the two, and we came back to a new alignment at kilometre 25.

    “So the work is ongoing and it’s moving smoothly. We have paid the total compensation of close to N10 billion. We are not owing and the contractor is highly commended for a very beautiful job, commitment and being very reasonable.

    “These projects are investments, and they have inherent returns on investments, By May 29, 2025, we will have completed section one of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway.

    “Apart from the land we are going to acquire for tourism, factories and industries, when we toll the road, within 10 years, we would recover the cost of the money. So, it is an investment.

    “Sections three and four have been finalised, but we are going to do stakeholders engagement in either Cross River or Akwa Ibom because that is where those sections will get started so that we can ensure procurement. But the design is almost completed”.

  • I will never fight my successor – Umahi

    I will never fight my successor – Umahi

    Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi has said he will never fight his successor, Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Senator Umahi said this in Abakaliki on Thursday while speaking with newsmen.

    Umahi said this while disclosing that most people he helped to power during the 2023 general elections now avoid him.

    The Minister said that even National Assembly members whom he helped to power were among those that now avoid him, adding that he was not disturbed by their behaviour.

    “It is only Chief Onyekachi Nwebonyi that will openly acknowledge that I am his father and boss.

    “The others feel that by doing so, the state governor, my successor, will be angry with them.

    “The governor cannot do that because he too openly acknowledges that I was instrumental to his emergence,” he said.

    He said that the development made him stop having political godsons but has opted for political friends.

    “I will fight anybody who makes trouble with the governor because he deserves our respect. I have done my bit, have left the stage and have to respect myself,” he said.

    Umahi said usually there were crisis between the predecessors and successors, adding that “I am however not available for such because I have been so blessed in life by God.

    “There are always pathways to successes and failures and when you dig for someone to fail, you have already failed,” he said.

    The Minister vowed to stick with Nwifuru for eight years and thanked God for giving the governor the grace to unite all leaders of the State.

    “The issue of the leaders staying together for long is not our business but I have known the governor for 16 years and will continue to support him.

    “I will never regret making him my successor as he, alongside few others, stood with me during the hard decision of defecting to the APC,” he said.

  • FG begins demolition of Landmark Beach

    FG begins demolition of Landmark Beach

    The Minister of Works, Sen. Dave Umahi, on Saturday in Lagos, flagged off the demolition of a section of the Landmark Beach, the Mami Chula Beach Lifestyle, to give way to the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.

    Umahi began the demolition after he inspected kilometre 13, 16 and 20 to ensure the most economical and viable way to access the coastal roads without much damage.

    He noted that the demolition was necessary since the landmark centre was located on Federal Government’s Right-of-way.

    He stressed that a number of structures would be affected by the demolition, adding that compensation would be provided.

    Umahi said, “So with the utmost fear of God, gratitude to God Almighty and the commitment to President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda in our infrastructural development agenda in particular, I wish to flag off this demolition.

    ”It’s in a right-of-way within the coastal corridor which is legitimate right of way of the Federal Government.

    “Before the flag off of the demolition of landmark, I graciously increased the grace period by another seven days and yet another four days and here we are because the project stopped because of lack of demolition.

    “And I want to commend the likes of Bolaji, incidentally from kilometre zero to four from what I’m seeing, he is the only one that is majorly affected. That’s the only infrastructure I can see that is affected.”

    The Minister, who acknowledged that some people were opposed to the project, insisted that it was necessary for economic development.

    He assured those affected by the demolition that they would be adequately compensated, adding that documentation would start between May 2 and May 3.

    Umahi also assured that he would be available throughout the week to address any confirmation or payment issues related to the demolition.

    Responding, the Chief Executive Officer, Mami Chula Beach, Mr Bolaji Ariyo, acknowledged the project’s necessity for development, even when it causes inconvenience for a small number of people.

    He said, “We all hope this is the renewed hope that we all clamoured for, during the campaign, we all prayed for development in Nigeria.

    “And some of us have so much belief in Mr President that he will do it well, and this is an opportunity.

    “For example, I’m a Lagosian and this is also a development that has been set down for a very long time. It is good that Mr President is doing that right now.

    “It is unfortunate. We all prayed for development, and in every development, some people pay the price and sacrifice for the development.

    “You might be wondering why I’m talking like this, maybe because I was also on the other side before, so, I understand what governance means.

    “I understand when a government is promising to make life easy for the entire Nigerians.

    ”Some of us are affected, no doubt about it, but those of us affected are not up to 0.1% of the millions of people that will enjoy the coastal roads.

    “That’s why people like me, have taken it to heart to also support Mr President and the honourable minister to ensure that this road comes to life.”

  • FG to compensate property owners along Lagos-Calabar coastal highway route

    FG to compensate property owners along Lagos-Calabar coastal highway route

    The Minister of Works, Sen. Dave Umahi, has assured property owners along the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway route that a fair and transparent compensation will be paid to those affected.

    Umahi said this at a press briefing/stakeholders meeting on Lagos-Coastal Highway projects, at Eko Hotel, on Thursday in Lagos.

    The minister said that the compensation process, which would be based on government-approved rates, would ensure payment of a standard, non-negotiable amount.

    “By next week Wednesday, we will know how much compensation will be paid, and it will be paid according to the rate gazetted by the Federal Government.

    “From Wednesday, I will appoint a committee that is going to review the remuneration to be sure that what is on paper is what is on ground.

    “So, we are going to call people as much as possible, starting from Monday, to come and know if this is your property, this is how much you are getting and so on and so forth,’’ he said.

    Umahi said that a one-on-one engagement process would take place over 30 days to verify property ownership and claims.

    “So, we will try to fast track it because the one-to- one engagement is going to be for 30 days, and I said that you will all be paid within the 30 days; the moment you are verified and you sign, you are going to get your money in 30 days,” he said.

    The minister pledged his commitment to upholding the Nigerian constitution, which guarantees fair compensation.

    He said, “I swore to uphold the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and that constitution has not changed; so whatever the constitution says in terms of rate is what we have to pay.’’

    The interstate highway is proposed to traverse about nine states along the coastal shoreline of the country.

    The 750km highway, handled by Hitech Construction Africa Ltd., will start from Lagos and terminate in Cross River, with a spur to the north central part of Nigeria.

  • Lagos-Calabar coastal highway to cost N4bn per km, not N8bn – Umahi

    Lagos-Calabar coastal highway to cost N4bn per km, not N8bn – Umahi

    Minister of Works, David Umahi has disclosed that the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway will be constructed by the government at N4 billion per kilometer and not N8 billion per km as claimed by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Umahi made the disclosure when when he featured as a guest on the Television Continental News Hour programme on Wednesday in Lagos State.

    From the disclosure of the Minister of Works, it, therefore, means that the entire Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project will be finished at a total cost of N2.8 trillion.

    “People are just building castles without knowledge and they don’t know figures, I will run the figures for you. We are going to compare the cross-section of the one the former vice president mentioned that was renegotiated for $11.1bn for 700 km.

    “So you have to now ask what was there to be constructed. And what was there to be constructed is the only available design from NDDC. They had designed the entire 700 km but we are not following exactly that pattern or right of way. We have a different modification. The original design had two carriageways on each side of the road with four lanes.

    “And in the middle, they did not provide for the train track. It’s just going to be a water-collecting basin. But the coastal road we are constructing has a total of 10 lanes, you know, not only that it has a total of 10 lanes, it also have what we called shoulders.

    “And the total shoulders can be put at about 23 metres. So when you put the total concrete pavement we are doing, it’s about 59 metres. When you put the total flexible pavement that he quoted it’s about 23 metres.

    “And so when you run the figures, you now find out that under his calculation, it is giving you about over N19bn per kilometre. Now if you divide it by the 23 kilometres that they are doing, it is about 2.225 times a standard superhighway carriageway, which is N11.55bn.

    “Whereas what we are doing, if you divide it, you get N5.167bn, So when you now divide using our 1.067, you get about N4bn/km. If you go back to what he has quoted, you will get over N8bn. So using concrete, which should be more expensive because of the kind of terrain we have, and using flexible pavement, which shouldn’t stand the coastal route, you will find out that our cost is N4bn instead of the N8bn claimed by the former vice president,” Umahi said.

    Recall that Atiku had questioned the decision of the President Bola Tinubu administration to allegedly award the contract to Gilbert Chagoury’s Hitech without competitive bidding, daring the president to disclose the full cost of the Lagos-Calabar highway project.

    The former Vice President also wondered why the Tinubu administration released N1.06tn for the pilot phase, or six per cent of the project, which begins at Eko Atlantic and is expected to terminate at the Lekki Deep Sea Port.

    On the mode of the construction process, the former Ebonyi governor explained that the administration never envisaged the project under a Private Public Partnership (PPP) arrangement but under an Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Finance programme as currently used on the Abuja- Markurdi road project.

    “This administration never envisaged the project under Private Public Partnership. It has always been under engineering, procurement, construction and finance. And so under this kind of arrangement, as you have on the Abuja to Makurdi road project, the federal government is required to pay a certain amount for counterpart funding.

    “And so in this particular project of Abuja to Makurdi, which is being handled by China Harbour, the government is paying 50 per cent counterpart funding. Then you have also from Makurdi to 9th Mile in Enugu state, where we are also paying 50 per cent counterpart funding.

    “So, there’s a marked difference between PPP and EPC plus F. And in this particular project, there will be a negotiated counterpart funding of between 15 and 30 per cent

    “When I was a governor, I had the African Development Bank fund a project through counterpart funding and I used some of the money to build some sections of the road.

    “So part of what we are constructing under sections one, two and three currently funded by the federal government will fall under the percentage counterpartfunding. When we finalise the negotiation, it will be between 15 per cent and 30 per cent,” he said.

    However, findings have shown that the statement of Umahi on PPP is contrary to claims made by the Minister on September 23, 2023, when he unveiled the design plan for the project.

    Speaking to journalists, the minister also said Hitech Construction would fund the project under the Public-Private Partnership model.

    Umahi said, “Let me announce that this project is under PPP. The Hitech group are going to look for the money. They have already found the money and that is the good news because we don’t waste our time talking and holding meetings and wasting resources.”

    “We are engaging seriously because we have seen the financial capacity and capability of Hitech and this project is going to be delivered in phases. Any section that we complete, we will toll it and then business and transportation will start.”

    Continuing, the works minister said the constructing company was only invited by the ministry based on their pedigree to construct the roads, adding that there was no public bidding process for the project.

    “We followed all procurement acts and the act permits the Federal Ministry of Works to invite a company that has specialised skill in a particular work. For instance, we have some problems on the Third Mainland Bridge with some underwater works and whom did we invite?

    “We invited Julius Berger because they have the skill to the exclusive rights of theirs and we submitted a bid for it and we negotiated and awarded the job. Of course, we ran through the Bureau of Public Procurement and of course also to the Federal Executive Council. So it followed due process,” Umahi concluded.

  • FG set timeline to complete Benin-Lokoja road

    FG set timeline to complete Benin-Lokoja road

    The Minister of Works, David Umahi says the Federal Government  has put plans in place to complete the construction of the  Benin- Lokoja road project within six months.

    Umahi made this known on Thursday in Abuja  during a meeting with the contractors handling the road projects.

    The Senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomole and the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in Edo, Sen. Monday Okpebholo were at the meeting.

    Umahi said that federal government had  device means to hasten the completion of the road project which was awarded since 2012 but could not be completed.

    He disclosed  that the federal government had agreed to BUA’s commitment to construct 30 kilometres of the road under the tax credit scheme after which a tax certificate would be awarded to the company.

    The minister added that three other contractors would be mobilised for the construction of the remaining 30 kilometres..

    “Four contractors will handle the four sections off tthe road.

    The first section from Lokoja is being handled by CGC, the second section is being handled by Mother Cat, the third section is handled by Dantata and Sawoe while the last section is handled by RCC.

    “Let me say that this project was first awarded in 2012, later the last administration reviewed the project to N879 billion under the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) tax credit scheme.

    “However, the costs of the project is different from the commitment of NNPC because NNPC’s commitment was just N122 billion and so there was a funding gap of  N775 billion and I don’t see where that money is coming from.

    “So all I did  when we came onboard was to keep the project but review the texture of the pavement, by allowing the existing carriageway to be asphalt and then reviewed the new carriage way to be concrete.’’

    Umahi said that the ministry would mobilise the contractors after signing an  addendum to collect 30 per cent fund to fast track the project amounting to N9 billion each.

    He however, said that the contractors would do an affidavit agreeing on the timing for completion of the project

    “We are very serious about the timing of our projects; we no longer allow contractors to determine how long they stay on site.

    “We have to demand for timetable and we have to work according to the timetable. So I am appealing to you contractors to be diligent and committed,,,” he said..’

    Responding, Mr Kabiru Rabiu ,Group Executive Director, BUA Group ,said the company was committed to supporting the administration of President Bola Tinubu to succeed.

    According to Rabiu, in Edo alone, BUA made an investment of over 2billion dollars with five lines of cement.

    He said that the construction of the 30 kilometres road was also in favour of the group as well as the people of Edo.

    “I want to give our commitment to take on the road project. We are committed to make the necessary investment under the tax credit scheme in return for a tax certificate.’’

    Earlier, Oshiomole, commended the Tinubu led administration for responding swiftly to the needs of the people.

    According to Oshiomole ,Edo state residents had been lamenting over the deplorable state of the road for the past  two to three administrations.

    He said that some of the contractors were not serious with the project while some totally abandoned it.

    “We appealed to the previous governments, we had a lot of promises but they were not kept. So we cried to the president.

    “We are happy that through the intervention of the minister, the president has given us a listening ear.

    ”I was shocked that within 72 hours the minister swung to action, the problem that ministers before him could not solve got a swift answer,” he said.

    For his part, Okpebholo said President Tinubu succeeded in rekindling hope in the people of Edo through the road  project.

    “We didn’t know how we were going to campaign because of bad roads; I commend the minister for the swift action.

    “If this is how Nigeria works, everybody will want to come back home. Nobody will want to leave the country.

    “I am happy that this is done. It is an excellent move for Edo people. With this, we will win our election with a clean slate,” he said.

  • Don’t blame Tinubu for hardship in Nigeria – Umahi

    Don’t blame Tinubu for hardship in Nigeria – Umahi

    Minister of Works, Chief David Umahi, says the present economic hardships in the country did not start from President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

    Umahi made the declaration on Sunday at his hometown Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi while addressing newsmen.

    He attributed the hardships to several preceding factors.

    The minister said that preceding administrations had build-ups of farmers and herders conflicts among other forms of insecurity which adversely affected food production.

    “I was the Chairman of the National Economic Council (NEC) committee on resolving farmers and herders conflicts and I settled such conflicts in several states, especially in the north.

    “Such settlements yielded fruits but the problem had dealt a lot of blow on food production with farmers prevented from going to their farms.”

    Umahi noted that with such underlying developments, no one should expect the Tinubu’s administration to fix such challenges within nine months.

    “It is not possible to solve the problems within such period in office and we should ask ourselves how to solve them.

    “President Tinubu is fortunately tackling the problems with his policies and when something has gotten to the climax, you don’t expect to dissolve it over night,” he said.

    He noted that the south-east geo-political zone for instance was presently free from incessant farmers and herders conflict, showing that President Tinubu had solved its major problem.

    “That is why we should not join the protests on economic hardship because if you remove the gunmen issue, the zone will be safe and farmers can work,” he said.

    Umahi also commended President Tinubu for directing cement manufacturers to revert to the old prices of the product in further cushioning effects of the hardship.

    “The president is a compassionate leader who feels the sufferings of his people and we expect the manufacturers to comply with the presidential directive.

    “I also commend my successor Gov. Francis Nwifuru for taking proactive steps to revive the Nigeria Cement (NIGERCEM) Company, Nkalagu as it should not continue being moribund.”

  • BREAKING: Prof Ani wins Senatorial seat vacated by David Umahi

    BREAKING: Prof Ani wins Senatorial seat vacated by David Umahi

    Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Anthony Ani has been announced winner of Saturday’s Ebonyi South Senatorial by-election in the State.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports David Umahi vacated the Ebonyi South Senatorial seat when he was appointed Minister of Works by President Bola Tinubu.

    Ani won with 46,270 votes, defeating his closest rival, Ifeanyi Eleje of APGA who garnered 3,513.

    Silas Onu of the PDP polled 2,783 votes and Mr Linus Okorie of the LP scored 2,710 votes in the election.

    Returning Officer for the Ebonyi South Senatorial election, Eze Uchechukwu, disclosed this on Sunday in Afikpo Local Government Area of the state.

    According to Eze, Prof. Ani, having certified by the law, is declared the winner and is returned elected.

    The returning officer earlier announced a total votes of 56,363 were cast, while rejected votes were 695.

    PDP, LP Candidates allege vote buying

    Meanwhile, candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Silas Onu and his counterpart in the Labour Party (LP), Linus Okorie, have alleged voting buying in the bye-election.

    Onu made this known at Obiozara ward, ishieke village Square polling unit in Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

    He accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of non-deployment of ad hoc staff to some polling units, even as he stated that accreditation and voting commenced very early.

    He explained that there were attacks on the members of his party, as he noted irregularities and vote buying were observed across his Senatorial district. He called on the relevant authorities to rise up to their responsibilities.

    On his part, Okorie complained of late arrival of election materials as he also noted that some voters were attacked by thugs, who disrupted voting process in some polling units.

    The LP candidate spoke at Enuagu-Onicha ward, Isiama Town Hall Polling Unit 011 in the Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, where he cast his ballot.