…warns against delays and excuses
Arewa youths under the aegis of Concerned Northern Forum (CNF), in keeping with their patriotic duty as watchdogs of good governance and policy reforms, have thrown their weight behind the Minister of Works, Engr. Dave Umahi over the ultimatum given to Julius Berger and China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC).
The Minister had on Saturday, the 29th of June 2024 in Uyo Akwa Ibom State, during a Stakeholders’ Engagement on the alignment of section 3B and 4 of Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, gave marching orders and threatened to terminate the contracts Berger and CCECC if they fail to immediately mobilise to site.
In a strongly worded press release, duly signed and distributed to journalists in Abuja by its spokesman Comrade Abdulsalam Moh’d Kazeem, the group vowed to support the Honourable Minister of Works in ensuring that no company, whether foreign or local can frustrate the gains so far recorded by the present adminstration.
“As a Coalition of over 73 civil rights groups in northern Nigeria with over 5 million registered members, we have a sacred duty to support the federal government’s laudable projects policies. It is also our duty to critique and criticize unpopular policies that are against the overall interest of Nigerians.
“It is against this backdrop that we have elected to identify with and support the federal government’s laudable projects in the Ministry of Works under the charismatic leadership of Engr. Dave Umahi. It is therefore our firm position that any company working against the actualisation of these projects should kicked out immediately”, the release mentioned.
The youth group described Engr Dave Umahi as an excellent Engineer, patriot and star performer who has has succinctly aligned himself with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, adding that any construction company that’s out to frustrate the sterling achievements of the Minister must be replaced forthwith.
The release read in part, “as objective observers, we are worried with the intentional delays and excuses given by Julius Berger and CCECC. The inability to mobilise to site after the release billions of naira to the companies is not just criminal but a deliberate attempt to derail the ongoing infrastructural transformation in the country.
“We condemn this delay in strong terms and sanction the revocation of their contracts if they fail to act accordingly as this is nothing but an act of sabotage designed to ensure contract inflation using the exchange rate as an excuse. Nigerians cannot tolerate this especially now that Engr. Dave Umahi is ready and desirous to work”.
The youths decried the abandonment of the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano road by Julius Berger and the Calabar-Itu road amongst other legacy projects and wondered why the federal government has not taken disciplinary actions against these erring companies.
“We have absolute conviction in the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s courage and determination in turning the fortunes of the country around following the robust Renewed Hope Agenda. Companies that are failing to meet their own side of the bargain should be deregistered from the list of contractors and serious companies invited to take over such projects. We shall continue to fight on the part of government to hold these companies accountable”, the statement concluded.
