The Minister of Works Senator (Engr) David Umahi has warned contractors of road projects that they will no longer be allowed to hold the Federal Government (FG) to ransom.

Umahi issued this warning in a meeting with contractors of road projects across the country at the Federal Ministry of Works’ Conference Hall, Abuja on Wednesday.

“The essence of this meeting is to face the challenges on the way forward but this would be almost the last of such a meeting in this direction,” Umahi said.

“This is because I believe that I have called enough meetings and I want the minutes to be documented after which I will see it before it is circulated to every contractor.

He added that the meeting was also in line with the contract which the Federal Ministry of Works signed with the contractors of road projects.

Umahi alleged that some of the contractors have been holding meetings with each other and they are ganging up with some of them telling him whatever they discussed.

“It is not useful to you as there is no meeting that can make me back down from the principles and the new policies of the Federal Ministry of Works,” he told the contractors.

“If you want me to back down, then you will have to pray to God and appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to remove me from this position.

“But if I am still the Minister, I must do the will of God and that of the President as well as the will of the people.”

Umahi said the agenda he is driving at is that if there is money to construct or fix only ten kilometres of road, then they should do it and renew the hopes of Nigerians in our road sector.

He further said that if what the contractors are being offered is not okay, they can leave because the contract is by agreement and he cannot owe them a ransom.

“You also cannot owe the Federal Government to ransom because it is our ability to pay that matters alongside your ability to do the work with the money being offered,” he stated.

“But when the two minds or parties cannot meet or reach an agreement, then they must part. You cannot continue to insist that your will be done if we don’t have the means to pay you.”
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