.To defend budget before National Assembly Monday
The Minister of works, David Umahi has set up six committees of one committee per geopolitical zone to review all debts of unpaid certified certificates generated before May 29th, 2023, and from May 29th 2023 to date.
The committees will also 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.
In a statement signed by rhe Chief Press Secretary to the minister, Barr. Orji Uchenna Orji in Abuja yesterday, the minister 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.
According to the statement, 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.
It requested the 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 from 9 am to 7 pm at the Minister’s Conference Room, Abuja.
The Minister, in the statement, thanked the President as well as National Assembly and pledged his commitment in using judiciously whatever fund allocated to the Ministry, saying such funds must impact on the road infrastructure improvement.
Meanwhile the Directors of the Ministry have concluded in-house budget defence with the Minister in preparation for budget defence with the Joint Committees of National Assembly slated for 11th December 2023.
The minister commended the Acting Permanent Secretary and all the Heads of Departments who handled the Ministry’s budget for their commitment to the appraisal of the 2023 budget and the preparation of the 2024 budget proposal.
Umahi, in the statement noted that the road sector needed a different kind of attention beyond the 2024 budget envelope received by the Ministry.
He said, for a developing nation like Nigeria, road sector development is a catalyst for economic development.
Umahi stated that the road sector has the potential to improve the security sector, agricultural sector, trade and investment, health, education ,and every aspect of the development of every nation.
The Minister thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the attention given to the Ministry and his approval of concrete pavement in most of the 2024 projects.
He stated that the Ministry is committed to the development of road infrastructure in line with the Renewed Hope agenda of Mr. President.
The Minister noted the 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.
