Minister of Works David Umahi has staked his career on the quality of the Abuja–Kaduna–Kano Road project, declaring he will step down if the construction is proven to be inferior.
During a heated budget defense session on Wednesday, lawmakers, led by Senator Adams Oshiomhole, questioned why a section of the project was reassigned to a company they described as an unknown entity previously linked to selling generators.
Oshiomhole challenged the firm’s reputation in road construction, but Umahi dismissed these concerns, emphasizing results over the contractor’s history.
“I’m just hearing about Maikano for the first time. Whether they are selling goats or cows, they are doing well. I am satisfied with the quality of work on the Abuja–Kaduna stretch, and I challenge you to an inspection. Bring the best of your concrete testers. If you test it and it fails, I will throw in the towel,” the minister stated.
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Umahi argued that the durability of a road depends on oversight rather than just the choice between concrete or asphalt, noting that “asphalt failures are often linked to poor oversight rather than material choice.”
Beyond the contractor dispute, Umahi criticized the Federal Ministry of Finance’s funding structure, labeling the current cash plan “anti-progressive to the success of his ministry.”
Defending a ₦3.4 trillion budget proposal, he noted that over 95 per cent of his ministry’s projects are ongoing and require consistent capital releases to avoid delays.
The session was punctuated by several “shouting matches” and “raised voices.”
Tensions first flared when Umahi asked a lawmaker to pause, which prompted a rebuke from Oshiomhole regarding the minister’s conduct.
Later, a disagreement between Senate Deputy Chief Whip Onyekachi Nwaebonyi and the committee chairman escalated further, even after Senator Ali Ndume attempted to intervene.
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