By SUNDAY ABBA, Abuja
The staff of the Ministry of Works have commended the Minister, Sen. Dave Umahi, for his dogged pursuit of durable roads for Nigerians.
This is as some reports making the round earlier alleged that aggrieved staff of the ministry at its headquarters in Abuja staged a protest Thursday morning, after they were initially locked out at the entrance gate for coming to work late, accusing the Minister of being high-handed and undermining civil service rules.
However, a statement signed by the director, Press and Public Relations in the ministry, Blessing Lere-Adams, said the Minister was at no time on Thursday locked up in his office or denied access, noting that there was a meeting between the leadership of the workers union and the Minister alongside management staff during which the workers commended the Minister for being an advocate of durable roads for Nigerians.
“This is to bring to the attention of the general public that the Minister of Works, Sen. David Nweze Umahi, was at no time locked up in his office nor denied access today, Thursday the 28th of Sept. 2023.
“The Hon. Minister, in all fairness, had attempted to bring sanity and orderliness to the service by ensuring that services are rendered as at when due to grow the Nigerian economy to everyone’s benefit.
“Therefore, to imbibe the spirit of discipline, daily Work activities in the Federal Ministry of Works now begins at 9a.m, Mondays to Fridays for all staff while the closing hour shall be 4p.m.
“The ministry’s Union Chairperson, Mr Williams Kuti, during a meeting with the Minister, Permanent Secretary and management staff, stated that the Minister had started on a good note by identifying the needs of Nigerians in his quest for good and durable roads and bridges, having taken a personal inspection tour of most of the road infrastructure in the South West, South East, South South and part of the North Central and North West geo political zones of the country,” the statement reads in part.
They also commended the Minister for personally reaching out to staff by means of welfare during the just celebrated Muslim festival.
The Union Chairman along side other staff during the meeting requested for more staff buses to ease their movement to and from their locations .
In his address the Minister said, “We all have to work in unity to be able to deliver Nigeria our dear country from total collapse.
He recalled his several attempts at ensuring that things are done right and also that international best practices are respected by all contractors in the construction of all Nigerian roads hence forth.
“By proper discipline, and respect of the rule of law and contract agreement , we can be sure not to only see roads that can last more than Seven years but, rather, roads that will last up to 50 years, and that is when the concrete technology method of building our roads is put to use,” the Minister said.
According to the Minister, this new approach to road building in the country would “create more jobs for Nigerian engineers, while increasing the use of local content which are in abundance rather than putting more pressure on the Nigerian naira for the importation of bitumen and asphalt for road construction”.
He promised to go to other zones within the next three weeks and see first hand the problems Nigerians are facing on the road .
