By Isaac Anumihe,
The Minister of Works yesterday, expressed dissatisfaction over the poor jobs done by contractors over the years, saying that no project in Nigeria can last up to seven years.
Addressing contractors from the six geo-political zones in Abuja, Minister of Works, Engr. Dave Umahi, accused some directors of collaborating with contractors to do shoddy jobs.
He directed contractors to redesign their projects to concrete project rather than asphalt, vowing not to pay any contractor who fails to deliver according to specifications.
According to the minister, if the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration does not kill bureaucracy in the ministries, he will fail. “We must kill bureaucracy and destroy the way things are done” he said. He said that the controllers will no longer send his certificate to him but must do that through their directors so that they (contractors) will equally be culpable.
Umahi accused the directors of helping contractors to jerk up contract fees saying that if any contractor fails he would write to COREN to withdraw his certificate. For his part, he must ensure that he is prosecuted. Consequently, he directed the Permanent Secretary to recall all the controllers to be retrained and should any of them fails the test would be retired.
Umahi told the controllers to begin to maintain and supervise his projects henceforth because they have long shortchanged Nigerians.
The minister stressed the need for transparency and adherence to contract terms. He questioned the unauthorised additional work undertaken by contractors and urged them to obtain proper authorisation to avoid getting into trouble with him. He emphasised the importance of thorough documentation and clearance procedures, making it clear that contracts would not be signed without the necessary design plans and original road blueprints. Umahi noted that some roads are riddled with potholes which have now degenerated into ‘boreholes’ and expressed concerns about the safety hazards such roads pose.
The Minister also castigated the entire construction industry in Nigeria, lamenting that lack of professionalism and outdated construction methods are part of the reasons for the poor conditions of the road. He outlined the need for modern construction techniques, and adherence to safety standards.
Umahi reminded contractors of their responsibilities and their accountability in the eyes of the law. He warned against mismanagement of contracts and hinted of potential legal consequences for those who failed to meet their obligations.
The former Ebonyi State governor maintained that contractors must redesign their projects to concrete project rather than asphalt, stressing that there was no going back on the decision except it is reversed by President Bola Tinubu.
He warned those who are blackmailing him because of his stance on value for money and transparency in the ministry to be prepared for a long-drawn-out fight, insisting that whatever is not in the interest of the Nigerian people will not be accepted.
He accused the directors of helping the contractors to jerk up contract fees inexplicably, explaining that wherever compromise is suspected, he would personally write to the to Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) to withdraw their certificates.
Umahi directed the permanent secretary in the ministry to recall all the controllers for retraining, insisting that whoever fails the test that will follow will be shown the way out.
The minister, an engineer, stressed that since he resumed office, he had travelled many roads in the zones of the country, lamenting that Nigerians were being killed by bad roads and being kidnapped because of the poor road construction.
He reminded the engineers and contractors who compromise their profession that the life of any Nigerian cut short on the highway due to bad roads or kidnapped will be demanded of them whether now or in the hereafter.
The former governor explained that Nigerian roads have now gone from having ‘potholes’ to having ‘boreholes’, stressing that he shed tears the last time he embarked on an inspection tour of the Abuja -Lokoja-Benin-Warri-Port Harcourt highway.
He also stated that he disagreed vehemently with the design of the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano road, stressing that many roads were failing because of wrong design. However, he noted that he was satisfied with the quality of work and monitoring by the ministry’s engineers in the South-west.
“I must always have my say. And I say, these projects, give them three to four years, they will fail. There is no project being constructed in Nigeria now that is going to last for seven years. There’s none.
“The question is: Are we just going to be maintaining or reconstructing our roads in this country after every 10 years or so? And that’s what we have been doing,” he stated.
He expressed happiness that he spent 14 hours on the road from Abuja to Benin to feel the pain of Nigerians who ply the road, noting that he got to the Edo state capital by 2am even though he left Abuja around 10am the previous day.
He also promised to treat the files of those who comply with the law promptly, explaining that Nigeria cannot afford to delay the process.
“I should be able to explain to Mr President why a project of N30 billion came to N120 billion,” he stated.