By Dele Ogbodo
The Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, has commended President Bola Tinubu for taking Nigeria out of recession.
He assured the Forum of State Chairmen of All Progressives Congress (APC) of a strategic collaboration in project monitoring and in fostering feedback mechanism in project delivery management.
Umahi, gave this assurance during a courtesy call by the forum held at the conference hall of the Ministry of Works, Mabushi, Abuja, on Tuesday May 6, 2025.
Speaking during the event, the Minister gave a thrilling account of the achievements of the Renewed Hope administration of the President Bola Tinubu, in the works sector across the six Geo-Political Zones, which he said had helped to accelerate economic recovery in line with the 8-point agenda of the Renewed Hope administration.
He praised the progress made by Mr. Pesident in taking Nigeria out of recession.
“There are a lot of improvements in our economy. I’ve always said that Mr. President inherited an economy that was in oxygen; that was in shock, and then he came, and he put oxygen.
Today, we have removed the oxygen. And the economy is promising. If you come and look at the fuel subsidy removal, you just ask yourself, if that was not done, where would this country have been? People darken counsel without knowledge.
And when you criticize, can you give us an alternative? When people criticize fuel subsidy removal and we came at the time that the ugly effect of the Naira redesign brought a lot of hardship for the people. But with the floating of the Naira, Mr. President has been able to stabilize the economy.
When we came on board, we saw the way the Naira and the dollar were. But today, we have a stable Naira.
He maintained that the policy direction of Mr. President was aimed at stabilizing and strengthening the economy and making Nigeria to be self-sufficient and self-reliant in the world of economic uncertainties.
“Just yesterday, Mr. President unveiled a policy on local content, and his address touched on this local content because jobs that our people are supposed to be doing, we can’t give it to outsiders.
The President has directed that local materials that could be locally sourced can not be imported.The food prices are coming down.
I was very shocked for the first time in this celebration of the Muslim festival. Instead of food prices going up, the food prices came down. And it’s something that we have to appreciate Mr. President. Commending the President on the huge intervention he has made on the road infrastructure
He said, “He is a man that understands that the road sector, the bridge sector, the infrastructural sector is the catalyst that grows the GDP of the nation of which every other sector will grow from.”
He thanked the Forum of State APC Chairmen, the National Chairman and the National Working Committee of APC, as well as the Governors in Nigeria for their support to the progresssive economic reforms of the Renewed Hope administration and their confidence in it efficacy, noting that road project delivery policy under Mr. President guarantees active citizenship participation and consensus building.
He urged members of the forum to feel free to task contractors and project managers on quality and accountability.
Earlier in his mission statement on behalf of the forum of State APC Chairmen, the spokesman in the event and Chairman of APC Cross River State, Mr. Alphonsus Ogar Eba, thanked the President of Nigeria for his illuminating stewardship in the works sector which he said would speak for him at the time of his re-election in 2027.
He praised the profound passion, the intellectual capacity and the professional sagacity and dexterity of the Minister of Works which has added great impetus to the transformation witnessed in the road sector of the economy.
“We are Chairmen and this visit is a solidarity visit to commend you for being the light that has brought proper illumination to the pitiful darkness that was found in the road infrastructure and so for us, we can only thank Mr. President, who discovered you even when you were in a comfort zone of being a Senator.
He continued, “This is a visit of thanksgiving to the Minister and his very supportive Honourable Minister of State, and all the Directors that have been giving you this support. If we remain in our respective States, we’ll write a long letter and send it to you. People will not know about it.
We have come to seek partnership with you. We are ready in the field.We have done our political evangelism and are prepared for the election of Mr. President.
The partnership we seek today is to say we want to become volunteers who will be helping to supervise your projects. We have always been trying to get to sites. When we are not satisfied with the contractors, we take immediate action, adding: “We want to be the catalyst towards those actions.”
In his vote of thanks, the Minister of State for Works, Mr. Muhammad Bello Goronyo, described Senator Umahi as a patriotic professional with deep expertise in the road sector.
He emphasised that Nigeria is fortunate to have a Minister so knowledgeable and committed to nation-building.
He also thanked the APC Forum for their warm visit, encouraging party chairmen across the States to continue supporting the Renewed Hope Agenda.
“Your presence here is not just a show of solidarity but a testament to our shared commitment to building a stronger infrastructure base for Nigeria.” He said.
