₦airaland Forum

The Minister of Works, David Umahi has faulted claims by some Northern Elders who said the Federal Government is undertaking more road projects in the Southern geo-political zone of the country.

The minister said such claim which according to him is circulating in the social media is funny and misleading.

Umahi stated this while speaking to newsmen in Ahoada, Rivers State on Friday after a two-day inspection of some federal roads in Rivers and Bayelsa States.

Among the projects visited were the Eleme section of the East-West Road, the Bodo-Bonny Road, the Ahoada-Mbiama section all in Rivers State, as well as the Zarama section of the road in Bayelsa State.

While noting that every part of Nigeria deserves equal treatment and development as a federation which the incumbent President is doing, Umahi stressed that contrary to the claims of the ‘faceless’ group, more federal roads are ongoing in the North.

“I saw what baffled me on social media. I don’t know them, but faceless people that say they are Northern elders are saying more projects are being done in the South than in the North and that is very funny and quite misleading.

“Among the inherited projects, let’s start with the four legacy projects; the North has 52 percent, while the South has 48 percent.

“What are they (the legacy projects). They are Lagos-Calabar 750, you have Sokoto-Badagry 1,068, Calabar-Abuja 465, Akwa Nga – Jos- Bauchi – Gombe 439.

“And so you aggregate the states and the length they passing through, you’ll find out that the North has 52 percent, while the South has 48 percent, ” he stated.

The minister further explained, “Now, come and think about the longest sections. We procured section one in Lagos which is 47.47 and that is N1.068 trillion.


“We purchased in section two which is about N1.3 trillion, we purchased in section 3 and 3b which is in Cross River and Akwa Ibom about N1.3.

[b]“Now, you see what we have procured, you see 65km plus 55 km that is 120 km, plus 47.47, so we’ll be looking at about 167, call it 170km.

“The one section in Kebbi is more than that and that is 258 km and we purchased the first carriageway which is 968 billion, so by the time you purchase the second carriageway which we will do this month, that will be about N2 trillion, that is only in Kebbi state.

“And in Sokoto state, you have 120 km which is 465 billion. So by the time you purchase the second carriageway, it will almost be N1 trillion”.

Umahi said it is worrisome when people spread this misinformation, as he mentioned that the Sokoto -Zamfara- Katsina-Kaduna which was inherited at zero point completion is about 750km and the total amount is about N825 billion.

He analysed the Abuja – Kaduna sections 1,2, 3, he said the section 1 and 3 is 118 km which is N252 billion, while the section 2 which is 164 km is N525 billion. He said if both are added together, it will sum up to 1.6 trillion.

“So, when the same faceless people talk about the second Niger Bridge, it is N134 billion for section 2A and N174 billion for section 2B. When you talk about Lagos-Ibadan, all that we needed to complete the work form where it stopped last time was N33 billion


“So, when you saw Lagos-Ibadan N196 billion, that is the total contract sum from past administrations and this present administration. So, it’s only N33 billion. So, I don’t know where the jobs that are being concreted in the South compare to North,” Umahi said.

He said, “Let me emphasise that Mr. President is developing the entire country in a fair manner. He is looking at the North and the South, adding that all Nigerians are using all the roads in the country enroute the various locations.

“The real Northern Elders, they have commended Mr. President. The IMF commended Mr. President, the Financial Institution commended Mr. President, the World Bank and the Southern Development Bank of Southern Africa and the Dutch Bank are commending the President.

“I want to say very clearly, that these Four legacy projects when they are completed in the next six years by Mr. President, Nigeria will never be the same again because as we are working, we are connecting all these major roads within the six geopolitical economic corridor, we are connecting them,so Nigeria will never be the same.”

On his assessment of the projects, the Minister said the N200 billion Bodo-Bonny road will be fully ready for inauguration at most December, like the Eleme section of the East+West as well.

Umahi concluded, “Let me say that we are very happy with the quality of work on Bodo-Bonny, very happy with Julius Berger.

“Very happy with the quality of work with RCC (Eleme.sectiom of East+West road), happy with work of Rock Results (Ahoada section), very happy with Setraco. (Ahoada-Mbiama section), bit their speed and the quality of work”.

Obankulu:
Umahi should ask Amaechi how far. They will use and dump you at the right time. Amaechi didn't do anything for his Niger delta people. Same as Umahi

“What are they (the legacy projects). They are Lagos-Calabar 750, you have Sokoto-Badagry 1,068, Calabar-Abuja 465, Akwa Nga – Jos- Bauchi – Gombe 439.

AMINDA:
Yesterday it was the Southsouth Elders that he called faceless. Today its Northern Elders that are faceless.

Obankulu:
Umahi should ask Amaechi how far. They will use and dump you at the right time. Amaechi didn't do anything for his Niger delta people. Same as Umahi

Putindbutt:
https://punchng.com/umahi-defends-tinubu-says-north-has-52-of-legacy-projects/?amp

Obankulu:
Umahi should ask Amaechi how far. They will use and dump you at the right time. Amaechi didn't do anything for his Niger delta people. Same as Umahi

AMINDA:
Yesterday, it was the Southsouth Elders that he called faceless when they challenged his claim that the East-West road was completed. Today, it's Northern Elders that are faceless. What is the status on the Kaduna-Abuja Road that he re-awarded to a phony construction company called Infiouest that no-one had ever heard about? Can we also see progress on the Sokoto-Badagry Road? How many projects are currently going on in the Northeast?

Concerns from Elders across regions are dismissed as faceless but he grovels in the commendation of IMF and Worldbank. What a pity!

Obankulu:
Umahi should ask Amaechi how far. They will use and dump you at the right time. Amaechi didn't do anything for his Niger delta people. Same as Umahi

EyeCumInPiece:
Una Just dey deceive unaselves. This corn3 has no business existing as one.
Even the President himself never believed in One Nigeria.

AustineE1:
Umahi you have given us the amount and kilometers of roads done in both North and South.You can now do better in giving us the total amount and kilometers of roads done in each geopolitical zone,I want to check something.
When it suits you guys and to cover-up the obvious favouritism and sectional concentration of projects,you guys cunningly muddle up the whole South into one. Please save Nigerians your rhetorics,we know the truth and what the premeir of western Nigerian region is upto.
I can not hold brief for the north because Buhari did worst,sidelined the south east /south south in major railway projects while even extending such to Maradi in Niger and the north was okay with that.Now Tinubu has continued in the APC evil agenda of always having to marginalize the south east and is annoying to see Rotimi Amaechi and Dave Umahi doing the dirty jobs for these wicked tribalistic political hyenas in Abuja.

Putindbutt:
Bitter people, it's Sunday, try dey rest.