By Daniel Tyokua
The Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, has set up committees across the six geo-political zones to review N1.5 trillion debt of unpaid certified certificates generated under the past administration of president Muhammadu Buhari.
Umahi set the committees during a meeting with Directors and Heads of Departments under the Ministry in preparation for 2024 budget defence at the National Assembly.
He charged the committees to carry out review of unpaid certificates owed by the current administration between May 29th till date.
He noted that the issues of huge debts arising from unpaid certificates inherited from the past administration, which runs up to N1.5 trillion up till date and the expected contract reviews arising from inflation are two issues that must be confronted in order to move forward.
In a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Minister, Orji Uchenna Orji on Sunday, quoted Umahi as also charging the committees “to review the approved and unapproved variation of prices and all augmentations that were approved or are yet to be approved and make recommendations to the Ministry’s management.”
He said, “the Ministry has exposed these debts and all reviews in the Ministry to Mr. President’s economic team and also to the Federal Executive Committee on road sector funding.
“It is believed that the internal works through these constituted committees will help them to use external Consultants to reverify the works so that concrete decisions will be made to move the Ministry forward.”
He called on contractors who are being owed to approach these committees with all documents to back up their claims from Tuesday 12th 2023 to Friday, 22nd of December 2023 at the Ministry of Works, Headquarters, Mabushi Abuja.
The Minister noted that the road sector needed a different kind of attention beyond the 2024 budget envelope received by the Ministry. For a developing nation like Nigeria, road sector development is a catalyst for economic development.
The road sector he pointed out has the potential to improve the security sector, agricultural sector, trade and investment, health, education ,and, in fact, every aspect of the development of every nation.
