By SUNDAY ABBA, Abuja
Minister of Works, Engr David Nweze Umahi, has directed contractors working on different federal roads across the country to ensure that the roads are open for use by Nigerians travelling during the Christmas period (Yuletide), even as he urged contractors, directors in the ministry, and controllers of work to be up and doing at the various project sites.
Speaking in Abuja, during a meeting with contractors, controllers of work and other stakeholders, Umahi decried the hardship usually faced by people traveling during the season, said no contractor should close any road without obtaining permission from the ministry.
He said: “I commend contractors very seriously for agreeing to adapt to the new policy of Mr. President and that’s the concrete roads technology. It’s not always easy to accept a change. But I’m happy that a lot of you, on your own, even came to have their projects be restored from asphalt to concrete.
“We’ve fought a lot of you, and a lot of you fought us. And I want to offer commentary on your behalf, fighting us, you know, for those who have no regrets, because we have to do this fight for the sake of our country. And I hope that we win the fight in 2026. And please, for you to close sites, they must be approved by the Federal Ministry Works. That is what the contract says. That’s what the procedure says. You don’t just close and open. We need to know if you want to close.
“There are some of the sites that must not close, you know. You have, for example, the Abuja Kano. It can’t close. Ife to Ibadan cannot close, you know, everyone can’t close. So Sokoto to Zamfara, down to Katsina, cannot close. Enugu to Onitsha, Enugu to Port Harcourt cannot close.
“The Lokoja to Abuja, Lokoja cannot close. So no place will close without our permission. This is very important. And let me be with you through the road. We were totally embarrassed, you know, in Abuja, Lokoja. But it’s also the patience of our people.
“Because if you say that the suffering of the people is because multiple sections of roadways, and there’s some places that the roads are bad. But the point of it is, go and see the coastal highway. They even killed somebody there. They were driving one way. They killed somebody in that way. You see traffic jam.
“But I’m telling you because some of those who criticise us should have been in that traffic jam so that they would be able to eat their words. Because they say they didn’t want it. And yet, this road that was rejected has become the street corners for them.”
He added: “I think there are some contractors that don’t have human feelings. In other cities, you can never disadvantage the public by working. We have to ask our engineers and directors to ensure that human feelings is respected while doing this work. You can’t just treat people any other way. It’s not the amount, it’s not the amount of equipment you need to support.”
The Minister condemned the practice whereby people put their business on expressways, narrowing the road space meant to be used by motorists, saying it’s happening in virtually all the states and must be checked.
“I was talking to the governor of Edo State. They compacted the federal roads to trade them. You go to Aba, the same thing. You go to Kano, they are closing the roads here and not allow us to work. They trade on the road. You go to Lagos, you see traders parking on bridges.
“We are going to advertise for contractors that will help us clear the roads. When we advertise, they will get it. And they will have the right to impound vehicles. They will have the right to charge fees, clearance fees. Then we generate revenue. And then we share the free tickets. So the road safety have told them to do their work. If this continues, I will report them to the president.
“Everybody in this country should do their work. The president works from 8 in the morning to 8 in the night. Then who are we? We have to work. We don’t just shout Renewed Hope Agenda. It has to be in spirit and in reality. For the sake of our country and of course, your family.”
Also speaking, the Minister of State for Works, Rt. Hon. Bello Muhammad Goronyo, who expressed the readiness of FERMA to carry out its statutory mandate, said he will prevail on FERMA in the coming to up their game in terms of road maintenance, adding that he cannot continue to commission not commission solar street lights as it were, while bad roads are there.
“For FERMA, I think we are now going a new direction. Because we really need to work hard. We have to leave our home to go out there and address the needs and aspirations of Nigerians bordering on roads.
“This time around, I will not go on commissioning solar lights; I will be commissioning roads maintained by FERMA,” Goronyo said.