BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja
The Minister of Works, Engr David Umahi has described the vituperation credited to the former Governor of Kano State, Sen Rabiu Kwankwaso on sidelining the North in road rehabilitation as deceitful and misleading.
This was even as Umahi hinted that Kwankwaso's utterances were intended to deceive Northerners, adding that the statement was made out of desperation and part of his struggle to forcefully claim late President Muhammadu Buhari's legacies.
Kwankwaso, who was the Presidential Candidate of New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in the 2023 general elections, had last week stated that President Bola Tinubu is developing more roads in the South than in the North.
Reacting over the weekend, the former minister said: "I consider the statement as one made out of desperation and as part of his struggle, along with a few others who believe that they can inherit the impeccable legacy of our dear late President Muhammadu Buhari, and that the only way available for them towards achieving the same is to be divisive and pretentious.
"Trying to be like our late President Buhari cannot be a job of three decades and cannot be done with deceit. I think our younger generation has such a chance and it must be worked for through hard work, honesty, transparency, and commitment to the unity of our country, a legacy that our late President Buhari, GCFR achieved in all his life on earth. May God continue to bless his legacies and give him a peaceful rest, Amen."
Umahi highlighted the four legacy projects of President Tinubu that is ongoing across the geopolitical zones.
"First is the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway which is 750 km. As of today, a total of 110 km is ongoing within Lagos State and 65 km within Cross River and Akwa Ibom States. The total ongoing is 175 km by 6 lanes or 350 km by 3 lanes in the South.
"Secondly, the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, which is 1068km. As of today, we have 258 km ongoing at the Kebbi section and 120 km ongoing at the Sokoto section. The total ongoing is 378 km by 6 lanes or 756 km by 3 lanes in the North.
"Thirdly, Trans Sahara road spanning through Cross River - Ebonyi - Benue - Kogi - Nasarawa - Abuja, which is 465km. 118 km by 3 lanes or 59 km by 6 lanes is ongoing in Ebonyi State - South.
"Fourthly, Akwanga - Jos - Bauchi – Gombe road, which is 439km. Project is being redesigned from flexible pavement to rigid pavement for more durability, as directed by Mr. President, and in conformity with the other legacy projects.
"Out of the total length of these projects, the North has 52% and the South 48%. And within the ongoing projects, as of today, the South has 409 km by 3lanes and the North has 756km by 3 lanes. The facts are there. I wonder why people don’t talk about other legacy projects of Mr. President but will always dwell on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
"This road has only 220 km by 3 lanes in Lagos State which is ongoing now. Cross River and Akwa Ibom states have 130km by 3 ongoing lanes, whereas Kebbi state, alone, has 316 km by 3 lanes that is ongoing. Sokoto state has 240 km with 3 lanes that is ongoing. I think Sen. Kwankwaso is not fair to Mr. President and the unity of our country," he added.
Umahi listed the major road projects in the North that are currently under construction.
They are: "Sokoto - Gusau - Funtua - Zaria road in Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, and Kaduna states: This is 275 km dualised (750 km), costing about ₦824 billion. This project is being handled by CBC, Triacta, Setraco, and Mothercat. Projects are ongoing mostly on reinforced concrete pavement. Despite the insecurity within this corridor, work is ongoing.
"Abuja - Kaduna - Kano road: 350 km dualized (700km) project is being constructed on concrete pavement with a total sum of ₦764 billion by Infiouest (Nig.) Ltd. with 30% of the contract sum already paid and work is ongoing.
"BUA Tax Credit road passing through Jigawa, Katsina, and Kano States are 256 km dualized (512 km). The project was redesigned and constructed on rigid pavement.
"156 km of Zaria - Hunkuyi road is being constructed by Mothercat (Nig,) Ltd.
"Kano Northern Bypass, about 49 km is being constructed by CCECC.
"The 100.9 km dualised (201.8 km) Kano - Jigawa states’ section of the Kano - Maiduguri road is being constructed by Triacta (Nig.) Limited.
"Bama and Dikwa roads (49+51=100 km) by Dangote Tax Credit are ongoing in Borno State.
"Section V of the Kano - Maiduguri Dualisation, Damaturu - Maiduguri in Borno and Yobe states (110 km) by 2 lanes is being constructed by CCECC (Nig.) Ltd.
"The 76 km Malando road in Kebbi State is being constructed by Episolyn (Nig.) Ltd.
"250 km dualised (500 km) Benue to 9th Mile road costing $958 million by China Harbour is ongoing.
"The dualisation of Lokoja - Okene 86km dualised (172km) by CGC is ongoing.
"Sections 1 and 2 of the Kaduna to Katsina roads by CCECC costing about ₦150 billion are ongoing."
Also, major ongoing projects in the South are: "Completion of Lagos - Ibadan 8.5 km costing ₦33 Billion by RCC.
"Completion of Lagos to Sagamu 12 km dualised (24 km) and flyovers by CBC.
"Completion of Oyo - Ogbomoso - Ilorin Road costing ₦146 billion by JRB.
"Repairs of Carter, Third Mainland, and Eko Bridges with a total contract sum of about ₦120 billion."
In the South-East, there are: "Completion of Enugu - Onitsha road by MTN tax credit which is 107 km costing ₦202 billion.
"Completion of Enugu - Onitsha road by CBC, which is 72 km and costing ₦150 billion.
"36-km Enugu - Abakaliki road with reinforced concrete by Global Resources (Nig.) Limited.
"Second Niger Bridge access road in Anambra State, 17.5 km (dualised) with many bridges and flyovers - ₦175Billion by CGC.
"Completion of 61km (dualised) of the Lokpanta in Imo state to Enugu state by CGC, costing 100bn.
In the South-South, there are remarkable projects that are completed.
They are: "Eleme-Onne road project, which is 30 km with bridges and flyovers, costing ₦156 billion.
"Construction of Eket Bypass, which is 9.7 km, dualised, costing ₦76 billion.
"Completion of East West Road, Section 2 at ₦186 Billion by Setraco.
"Nembe - Brass road costing ₦150 billion.
"Completion of the dualisation of Lokoja - Benin road by four contractors costing about ₦167 billion.
"Second Niger Bridge access road in Delta state, which is 17 km, dualised by CCECC, costing ₦146 billion.
"Completion of Bodo Bonny Road in Rivers state: 35 km with 12 bridges by Julius Berger (Nig.) PLC, costing 200 billion."
The minister promised that in the coming week, he will publish all inherited projects and new projects that are either completed or ongoing under the Renewed Hope Administration.
He insisted that Tinubu is a fair President that has favoured the North in road development more than the South, especially the North West, the geopolitical zones of Sen. Kwankwaso.
Umahi added: "Apart from the four legacy projects, 80 percent of the above-named ongoing projects were awarded by the past administration towards the end of 2023 but never took off effectively, which President Tinubu decided to continue to fund till completion. If he had abandoned them, the same people would complain.
"I have been under pressure from some stakeholders for the construction of their major roads like the abandoned Ibadan - Oyo by Arab Contractors, Ibadan - Ile Ife - Ilesa, Ilesa - Akure - Benin, and Ore - Sagamu roads. I have been badly accused that I am only doing projects in the North, especially the North West.
"The Third Mainland Bridge is being closed down to heavy trucks because of underwater structural defects. The Carter Bridge is so deformed that it needs to be demolished and reconstructed. These are the real major projects in the South West, which I have been appealing to Mr President to give me money to do because the people of the South West may think that I am doing nothing about the major projects in their zone.
"These projects are within a major economic corridor between the South and the North that deserve attention. Moreover, these bridges, if allowed to further deteriorate, will lead to serious economic consequences for the nation. Mr President is not only fair in the completion of major inherited/new projects but they are all within the major economic corridors of our nation.
"I will publish all ongoing projects, which are above 20 billion naira each next week. We still have many projects within the six geopolitical zones that are not listed here. In this circumstance, I don’t know where Sen Kwankwaso got his misinformation."
He lamented that the utterances of some political leaders are just intended to deceive Nigerians and gain political favour instead of making statements that will unite and move the country forward.
"I will offer more explanation on this topic and am ready to face a debate with anyone just to put the record straight, " Umahi said.
The minister stated that out of the ongoing inherited NNPCL Tax Credit road and bridge projects, the North has 53 percent, while the South has 47 percent, out of which the South East has only four percent and and the South West has a mere five percent.
He directed Nigerians to visit NNPCL and verify the record of the projects, noting that President Tinubu did not complain about the unfair distribution of the inherited projects by the past administration but continued to fund them as inherited.
"To my brother Senator Kwankwaso, you owe our dear President an apology and a duty to withdraw your statement using the information I have provided for the benefit of Nigerians and the unity of the nation.
"I request the good people of Nigeria to ignore Senator Kwakwans’s misleading statement and know that President Tinubu is evenly committed to developing every part of this country with fairness, equity, and the fear of God," Umahi concluded.
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