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No Evidence of Road Projects in South East, Says Umahi

Published

2 years ago

September 4, 2023

Eric

Minister of Works, David Umahi, has reaffirmed his commitment to make a positive change in road infrastructure development, saying there is no concrete evidence of road projects, especially in the SouthEast region.

Umahi stated this during a meeting with 46 contractors handling road projects in the South East and other contractors from the North East over the weekend at the ministry’s headquarter, in Mabushi, Abuja.

He explained that under his watch, road construction, starting from design and actual construction, must meet required processes to be done right, adding that Nigerians are yearning for motorable roads in the country.

Umahi said: “We will get it right; the time to do a good job is here. If you were doing a bad job before, this period is not for you. We must work 24 hours to do a good and acceptable construction that will last.”

The minister advocated the use of concrete technology in road pavement, because it is durable, affordable and can last without much maintenance, urging contractors to decide on the use of Asphalt or concrete.

He, therefore, maintained that the Federal Government would continue to use them, stressing that they will sign an undertaking that if the roads fail, the contractor will bear the burden.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Works, have been enjoined to adhere to approvals granted by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

A section of aggrieved contractors of the ministry, led by Vitalis Chikwendu, accused Umahi of deliberate attempts to frustrate the realisation of President Bola Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda by stalling the progress of work through non-payment.

They alleged that Umahi has concluded plans to tamper with contracts already awarded by FEC under the guise of review, insisting that the minister’s motive was to re-award some of the contracts to himself or close cronies.

The contractors accused the minister of stalling the progress of work by deliberately refusing to treat files, sidelining civil servants who have institutional memory.

Consequently, they appealed to the President to urgently redeploy Umahi, insisting that his short stay as minister has grounded activities in the ministry.

Chikwendu, who was flanked by other contractors, including representatives of their foreign counterparts, alleged that the minister has about 80 different companies, some of which he plans to use in executing projects once his plans to tamper with contracts scale through.

The Guardian

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Tinubu Nominates Oyedele As Minister of State for Finance, Moves Anite-Uzoka to Budget Ministry

Published

21 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Eric

A statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy Bayo Onanuga, has announced that “President Bola Tinubu has nominated Taiwo Oyedele as the minister of state for finance, replacing Doris Anite-Uzoka.

“Mrs Anite-Uzoka will now move to the Ministry of Budget and National Planning, as the Minister of State, her third portfolio in the administration.

“President Tinubu has today conveyed the nomination of Mr Oyedele to the Senate for confirmation in a letter to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.

“Until President Tinubu nominated him as a minister, Mr Oyedele from Ikaram, Akoko, Ondo State, was the chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, which overhauled Nigeria’s tax system.

“Mr Oyedele, 50, is an economist, accountant and public policy expert.

“He attended Yaba College of Technology, where he obtained a Higher National Diploma (HND) in accountancy and finance. He attended Oxford Brookes University and earned a BSc in applied accounting.

“He also completed executive education programmes at the London School of Economics, Yale University, the Gordon Institute of Business Science, and the Harvard Kennedy School.

“Mr Oyedele spent 22 years of his working career at PwC, joining in 2001 and rising to become the Fiscal Policy Partner and Africa Tax Leader.

“Mr Oyedele is also a professor at Babcock University in Ogun State and a visiting scholar at the Lagos Business School.”

Featured

Defection: Atiku’s Son, Adamu, Resigns As Adamawa Commissioner

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

Eric

Adamu Abubakar, the first son of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, has resigned as Adamawa State’s commissioner for works and energy development, days after Governor Ahmadu Fintiri defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.

Abubakar’s resignation letter, dated 2 March 2026, was addressed to the governor through the Secretary to the State Government. He gave no reason for his departure.

The timing is pointed. Fintiri announced his defection to the APC in a statewide broadcast last Friday, saying his cabinet and the PDP’s state structure had moved with him. Within 24 hours, 22 commissioners and special advisers publicly announced they were following suit. Abubakar, whose father remains one of the PDP’s most prominent national figures, was not among them.

In a statement issued Monday night, Abubakar’s media aide Abdulaziz Jauro said the former commissioner thanked the governor for the opportunity to serve and pledged continued loyalty to the administration’s developmental agenda. He also expressed gratitude to his father “for granting him the moral support and blessing to serve the people of Adamawa State” — a line that, read in context, suggests Atiku was consulted on the decision.

Abubakar said his resignation was not a withdrawal from public life. “This does not mark the end of his commitment to public service,” the statement read, “but rather the beginning of new avenues for developmental collaboration.”

The resignation leaves unresolved the question of whether it reflects a political break with the governor over his defection or a personal decision unconnected to the broader party realignment now reshaping Adamawa’s political landscape.

Featured

DSS Nabs Man over Assassination Attempt on Peter Obi

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

Eric

Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS) has detained a man in connection with the recent attack and alleged assassination threats targeting Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

According to AIT, the shooting incident took place on February 24, 2026, in Benin City, Edo State, during a political gathering attended by Obi and several figures from the African Democratic Congress (ADC). The meeting was hosted by former APC National Chairman, John Oyegun. Gunmen reportedly opened fire at the venue, causing panic and forcing attendees to disperse for safety.

According to security sources, shortly after the attack, an individual identified as Udeme Monday Stephen allegedly took to social media claiming responsibility and issuing additional threats against Obi, warning of further violence.

Intelligence officials reportedly initiated swift investigations, employing digital tracing and forensic tools that led to the arrest of the 26-year-old suspect in Rivers State. He is said to be a teacher at a private secondary school in the Eliozu area of Obio-Akpor Local Government Area.

The suspect remains in DSS custody and is expected to face prosecution. The agency reiterated its commitment to responding to credible threats and safeguarding lives and national interests without bias.