A chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Otunba Segun Showunmi, has commended the Minister of Works, Engr. Dave Umahi, for what he called giant strides he was making in changing the face of road infrastructure across the country.
This followed a 10-hour projects tour he embarked upon along with the Minister and other members of opposition parties, who included Dr Kanti Uthman from ADC, Engr. Musa Zubaru from AA, and Sunday Ayeni from the NNPP.
Otunba Showunmi lauded the repairs on Mararaba-Keffi Road and the swift restoration of the Keffi bridge in Nasarawa State, which recently caved in.
In a social media post, the former spokesperson of ex-vice President Atiku Abubakar, commended the deep knowledge of the Minister in engineering profession and for observing closer supervision of ongoing jobs.
He wrote: “Dave truly loves engineering. He understands construction deeply. He thrives in the field engaging contractors, giving instructions, verifying the quality of work, checking bills of quantities, and ensuring that agreements match execution.
“At the Maraba road, I was both shocked and delighted by the amount of work already done by a combination of local and foreign companies. I’ve often asked him, “Can’t our people build roads? Will they get the jobs too?” His answer is always the same: “As we inspect, you’ll see Nigerians who can match anyone in this field. The bidding and evaluation processes are competitive. And the value chain of construction supports millions of Nigerians, even when foreign contractors are involved.” He added that the President is just as concerned about developing local capacity.”
He, however, criticised Nigerians for being good at raising complaints about the bad state of roads but unable to show appreciation when things are done right, querying what kind of people Nigerians are.
“When we reached the bridge, I was pleasantly surprised it was not only restored but strengthened, rebuilt better, and protected with gantries to prevent a recurrence. And all within such a short time. I asked His Excellency, “Professor in Practice” Dave Umahi how they accomplished this so fast, given that it was an unplanned emergency. He explained: once the collapse was broadcast on TV and Nigerians began lamenting, the President issued a marching order, backed it with immediate funding, and the ministry scoped the work and mobilized a contractor. In less than three months 29 days after completion the bridge was quietly reopened,” he added.
The 10-hour journey also took the team to Kaduna where Otunba Showunmi saw sites where works were actively going on, where street lighting and other facilities will also be put in place.
“From there, we headed toward Kaduna, stopping at critical points to observe the work. What struck me most was that at every single location, men and women were actively working. I heard in some areas Dave ordering ministry supervisors to temporarily relocate to boost oversight. He urged contractors to take advantage of the good weather, double their workforce and equipment, and work day and night under floodlights. He emphasized tree planting every 10 meters, the development of side corridors, and the provision of streetlights,” he added.
Engr. Umahi directed all praises to President Bola Tinubu, saying that he was just carrying out the president’s agenda of making Nigeria a better place.
