Of Umahi and Nigeria’s infrastructure revolution
12 November 2024 |
3:03 am
Sir: It was in a bid to ensure that his administration delivers excellent outcomes in the infrastructure score that President Bola Tinubu appointed a hands-on engineer as the Minister for Works.
Sir: It was in a bid to ensure that his administration delivers excellent outcomes in the infrastructure score that President Bola Tinubu appointed a hands-on engineer as the Minister for Works.
Senator Nweze David Umahi’s coming as Works Minister raised public expectations on how determined President Tinubu was to walk the talk of revitalising critical infrastructure in the country. Over and above that promise, as governor of Ebonyi State, Umahi had transformed his state through massive infrastructure development by his sheer engineering wizardry.
But, barely six months on the saddle as Works Minister, entrenched political interests, ethnic jingoists and business-as-usual contractors put up hurdles across the path to the Renewed Hope Agenda infrastructure train.
Every move the minister makes to repeat the engineering marvel he prosecuted in Ebonyi State across Nigeria, has been met with one controversy or another. From his insistence that contractors must keep to the terms of their contract, through rigorous supervision to resolve on meeting contract timeliness, Umahi continues to encounter man-made obstacles.
Recently, I was nonplussed at the orchestrated attempts to pitch the Minister and property owners over the payment of compensation for the right of way in the signature Lagos to Calabar Coastal Highway Road project.
As one who had seen how focussed Umahi can be to deliver on his mandate, I believe he should be allowed to concentrate on his job without politically motivated distractions. Opposition politicians should also reckon that for the reason that he makes himself ever accessible at every project site should not be used as avenue to issue threats, plan physical and verbal attacks against his person. The plot may be to frighten the minister to discard his policy of strict personal supervision that road projects deserve.
The workaholic engineer insists on being at project to see things for himself and provide guidance before things go awry. As a precision minded official, he is so meticulous to the point of irritation to staff and contractors. Apart from time consciousness, the minister will stop at nothing to ensure international best practices. He is a stickler for price efficiency, best quality and aversion of asset depreciation.
Umahi could be said to be in a hurry to meet the expectation of his principal and the Nigeria public. As a genius in mathematics, the Works minister does not fail to crosscheck every figure presented before him without exceptions. With calculator always handy and his pen on the ready, no contractor dares bamboozle him with crazy engineering drawings, befuddling designs or contrived computations.
At all times, our decisions must be guided by the need to secure the greatest good for the greatest number. That is the standard in utilitarian calculus and the very essence of democracy. Let us support government to provide similar critical infrastructure that we admire overseas.
Dr. Eni Uduma Chima, a community leader, wrote from Abakaliki.
Related
Latest
NOW
LAGOS State Government, yesterday, said that it had shut no fewer than 100 health facilities in the last 10 months for quackery. Executive Secretary of the Health Facilities Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA), Dr Abiola Idowu, disclosed during the agency’s sensitisation and enforcement exercise in Badagry. She also said that the rate of quackery in…
2 mins ago
NATIONAL Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) have directed Kano drug marketers to relocate their businesses to the Coordinated Wholesale Centre (CWC) in Dangwauro, to check substandard and falsified medicines (SFs). The agencies made the pronouncement at a press briefing yesterday in Lagos. NAFDAC’s Director-General,…
3 mins ago
GOVERNOR Babagana Zulum has established the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries Development (MILFD) to meet the food requirements of Borno State. According to him, the distribution of food items to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in camps and host communities cannot be sustained by the state government. Zulum unveiled the new ministry, yesterday, in Maiduguri, while…
4 mins ago
CHAIRMAN of the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC), Prof. Tunji Olaopa, yesterday, urged public administrators to brace up for challenges of future civil service. He spoke in Katsina at the 43th Annual Conference of the Council of the Civil Service Commissions of the Federation, holding from yesterday to Thursday . According to Olaopa, it is…
4 mins ago
GOVERNOR Uba Sani has identified the burgeoning population of out-of school-children as a threat to the survival and development of Kaduna State and the North in general. He said already, his government was taking steps to address the situation. According to him, the large number of out-of-school children, including those with disabilities, is a significant…
6 mins ago
THE Benue State Income and Expenditure Commission of Inquiry for 2024 has issued a fresh summons to Chief Titus Tartenger Zam, who was Special Adviser to the former Governor of Benue State on Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, alongside three other key officials from the bureau. Zam, now a senator, who served the…
6 mins ago
THE National Union of Gaming and Lottery Workers (NUGLOW) has warned that Nigeria might be losing billions of Naira if the Federal Government fails to urgently reform the industry, which presently contributes an estimated $250 million (approximately N500 billion) yearly to the nation's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The union said the sector's contribution highlights its…
7 mins ago
STAKEHOLDERS have underscored the need for a collective commitment to integrating security education into national frameworks to build a more secure and prosperous Nigeria. They called for revision of the country’s educational curriculum to incorporate security education as a comprehensive strategy to address key challenges such as insurgency, corruption, ethno-religious violence and inter-communal crises. The…
9 mins ago
THE Professional Leadership Practitioner Institute (PLPI) has stressed the importance of digital leadership in driving Nigeria’s growth, while calling for firm policies, investment in technology and a cultural shift towards embracing digital transformation. Speaking at the 2024 yearly conference and fellowship investiture, Prof. Jacob Ayantayo, who was the guest speaker, noted the potential of digital leadership to…
10 mins ago
STUDENTS of the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID), Borno State, have called for improved network connectivity and Wi-Fi facilities within the varsity to boost their productivity. According to the students, lack of connectivity has hindered so many of them in carrying out their academic tasks as it were. While the campus battles a lack of connectivity,…
×
Get the latest news delivered straight to your inbox every day of the week. Stay informed with the Guardian’s leading coverage of Nigerian and world news, business, technology and sports.
0 Comments
We will review and take appropriate action.