Nigerian Minister of Works, Engr. Nweke David Umahi, has restated that he won’t be distracted by the mischievous claim that 8.7 billion, funds for construction of roads was fraudulently paid into a Microfinance Bank contrary to extant regulations.
Umahi speaking to some journalists in Rivers during inspection of the Enugu-Port Harcourt dual carriageway being reconstructed, made it clear that this was an attempt to distract his commitment to delivering on Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu for road sector development in Nigeria.
The Organization (Tracka Budgit) on social media claimed that the Minister paid the sum of 8.7 billion against a number of projects in Ekiti State, in Kaduna State, Kastina State and Borno State between June and September, 2023.
According to Umahi, “And so, it’s just a distraction. And then, some of the bank contractors are using them to fight back. But I refuse to be distracted”. He described the claim as very mischievous, stating that the organization should have investigated.
The Minister while debunking further the erroneous claim by Tracka Budgit stated that as at June 2023, he was in Senate. He said, “So, if they are correct, it means the contracts would have been awarded while I was still a Governor, so not a Minister.”
Concerning the payments to a Microfinance bank, he explained that as at July, he was in the Senate up to the 20th of August. Saying “when a contractor has done his or her work, the money becomes his money. He can say pay it to any bank of his choice.”
Umahi submitted that “whether it’s paid in microfinance bank or macrofinance bank, what is paramount to establish if the funds were rightly paid for good work done. The only right they have is whether the job was done. But they don’t have right to say where a contractor will say his money will be paid”, the Minister said.
On his efforts to ensure quality delivery of road projects through partnership with the States, Umahi said “let me also say that in all the States, it’s our policy that the state governors, through their appointed officials, must mark off any project, especially the emergency, palliative projects.
According to him, “when a contractor has completed a job, no matter how big it is, my advice is for the state governor to come to the site and look at it and then mark off the job before he gets to office for payment”, while affirmed that where this procedure is not done, he will not sign any generated certificate.