…Says Transparency Remains Watchword As Ministry Partners ICPC, EFCC
By SUNDAY ABBA, Abuja
Nigeria’s Minister of Works Engr David Umahi on Wednesday received the 2025 Personality of the Year Award as Infrastructure Champion from AljazirahNigeria Newspaper.
The recognition, organisers said, followed months of independent scrutiny, investigations, and verification of projects under the Ministry of Works.
Accepting the award with his full team, including the Permanent Secretary and Directors in the ministry, Umahi said.
“I am here with my team, including the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Works and all the Directors. I am deeply touched by this award.”
According to him, what struck him most was not the accolade itself, but the process behind it.
“What makes this recognition particularly important to me is the process behind it. I understand that you undertook a thorough review of the Ministry’s operations. What stands out is that this was done independently, without my knowledge, and I have only just become aware of it. That, to me, is very moving.”
In a country where public trust is often tested, the minister seized the moment to make a bold claim, that every project under his watch can withstand scrutiny.
“I want to assure you that what drives us in the ministry is the fear of God. On every project, the Permanent Secretary, the relevant Directors, and the contractors are all involved, and everything is done transparently. If questioned on any detail, including the cost components of a project, we can clearly account for it. There is nothing we do that we cannot defend.”
That confidence, he said, is not mere words, explaining that the ministry formally invited anti-corruption agencies to scrutinise its work, not just on paper, but on the ground.
“Let me tell you something, we wrote to ICPC to go around and investigate all our projects, not on papers, but to go around and investigate the physical accomplishments of what the President is doing. We also wrote to EFCC. Now, ICPC has concluded their own, and we have given them a space here to check our procurement process. They have started their work.”
At the heart of Umahi’s reforms is a strategic shift, the transition from asphalt to concrete roads. A decision he described as a battle but successful.
“The transition from asphalt to predominantly concrete roads was not without challenges. It was a battle we fought, but we are not afraid of challenges, especially when we are guided by God and committed to serving the people above all else.”
He argued that the long-term benefits far outweigh the initial resistance.
“Most of the roads we are now constructing are concrete, designed to last up to a hundred years with minimal or no maintenance. This is a long-term investment in the country’s future.”
Beyond engineering, the minister who highlighted the socio-economic importance of infrastructure to the peopple, described roads not just as projects, but as lifelines.
He also delivered a message to the media, calling for responsibility in an age of rapid information.
“I also encourage those in the media and public space to be responsible. Verify your facts before amplifying any information. Freedom of expression is important, but we are all accountable for what we say and do. Ultimately, what one sows is what one reaps.”
Earlier, in his opening remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of Al Jazeera Nigeria Newspaper, Bassey Williams, described Umahi as a standout figure in public service after what he called a rigorous and independent selection process.
“After months of rigorous evaluation and peer consultation, the award committee of Al Jazeera Nigeria Newspaper unanimously selected Engineer David Nwaeze Umahi as Personality of the Year 2025 in the category of Infrastructure Transformation Icon.”
He noted that under the Renewed Hope Agenda of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Ministry of Works had witnessed a surge in execution capacity, strategic planning, and nationwide impact.
Williams went further, addressing past allegations against the minister, revealing that extensive investigations yielded no evidence of corruption.
“It is on record that Engineer David Umahi, the Minister of Works, is among the most scrutinised public officials in Nigeria by the Al Jazeera Media Group.
“In 2024, extensive investigations were conducted into allegations of corrupt practices, deploying high-level investigative resources both within Nigeria and internationally. However, no evidence of wrongdoing was established,” he said.
From the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway to critical corridors across the North and South, the CEO said the scale and consistency of delivery have repositioned infrastructure as a central pillar of national development, urging the minister to remain focused, and not yield to needless distractions.