Dave Umahi Speaks On Alleged Incompetent Company Handling Road Constructions In Nigeria


 

Contrary to a report published in a national daily (not The Nation), the Federal Government awarded any section of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Road dualisation to Infoquest Nigeria Ltd.

The Minister of Works, David Umahi, who dismissed the report, demanded a public apology from the newspaper. He labeled the claim as damaging and unjustified. 


Umahi insisted that the newspaper issue a public apology to the Ministry of Works to be published in at least five national dailies, for disseminating inaccurate information about the ministry.


At a press briefing in Abuja yesterday, the minister also addressed what he described as deliberate misrepresentation and mischief in sponsored publications by Julius Berger Plc while criticising the company’s recent statements in several national dailies regarding its failure to fulfill contractual obligations on a section of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano road, which led to the termination of its contract.

Regarding the reawarded contract, the minister clarified that the ministry has no association with Infoquest Nigeria Ltd, instead, the contractor handling the project is Infiouest International Limited, a company that has fully complied with all legal and corporate requirements.

Displaying Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and other relevant documents as evidence, Umahi criticized the publication as a deliberate attempt by detractors to discredit the ministry and undermine the government’s efforts to transform road infrastructure, describing it as mischievous, misleading, and damaging, refuting claims attributed to him in the report.

The minister cited how he was falsely quoted as stating that Infoquest Nigeria Ltd secured a “No Objection” of ₦252.89 billion from the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) for the rehabilitation of a section of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Highway, with the ministry alleged to have awarded the contract to an obscure company.

He condemned the publication as a deliberate effort by vested interests to undermine his ministry’s commitment to transparency, quality assurance, and value-for-money in project execution.

Addressing claims made by Julius Berger Nigeria Plc regarding the Abuja-Kano Expressway construction, the minister explained that Julius Berger had failed to meet terms for completing the Abuja-Kano road project despite 40 months of negotiation.

“We couldn’t agree on timelines or a fair price,” he said. 

He highlighted that 65% of the project had been completed at ₦391 billion, but the contractor demanded an additional ₦1.1 trillion to finish the remaining 35%.

“We disaggregated the project and re-awarded sections 1 and 3 under a tax credit scheme to expedite completion,” the minister explained, adding that Section 2 remains under procurement, with Julius Berger invited to submit a bid alongside other companies.  


The ministry minister also addressed concerns about substandard work on completed sections, emphasizing the government’s commitment to durable and efficient infrastructure.


Read Also: FG awards ₦366m phase 1 palliative works on Abuja-Kaduna expressway

“We are engineers; we know what we’re doing. The patches on the road are evidence of inadequate quality,” he said, underscoring the importance of value for money.  

Umahi revealed that Julius Berger had been hiring equipment from InfoQuest, contradicting claims of the latter’s inexperience. 

He further revealed that Julius Berger frequently demanded contract reviews and additional costs across its projects.

“In September, they requested ₦80 billion review for the Port Harcourt-Bonny Road, despite a no-review clause in their initial agreement,” he disclosed.  

According to him, the ministry outlined measures to curb delays and enforce accountability, including invoking penalty clauses for contractors who fail to deliver on time.

“We are committed to protecting taxpayers’ money and ensuring value for every kobo spent,” he assured.

The Minister of State, Bello Goronyo, reinforced the Ministry’s stance, emphasizing that the administration prioritizes fairness, transparency and efficiency. 

“We will not succumb to pressure or misinformation. The focus remains on delivering quality infrastructure for Nigerians,” he said.


OFFICE OF THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF WORKS

INFOQUEST NIG LTD WAS NEVER AWARDED ANY CONTRACT ON ABUJA- KADUNA ROAD AS FALSELY AND MALICIOUSLY REPORTED IN A PUBLICATION OF DAILY TRUST NEWSPAPERS OF 21/01/2025.

-DAILY TRUST TO RENDER UNRESERVED APOLOGY TO FEDERAL MINISTRY OF WORKS FOR UNJUSTIFIABLE FALSEHOOD


1. The Honourable Minister of Works, *His Excellency, Sen. Nweze David Umahi CON* has rebutted in strong terms  the unwarranted, false,  misleading, and damaging report published in Daily Trust  Newspapers of  21st January 2025, which falsely represented the Federal Ministry of Works as having awarded a section of Abuja-Kaduna-Kano road dualization to *Infoquest Nigeria Ltd*. In a press conference held on 21st January 2025 at the Conference Hall of the Honourable Minister of Works and attended  by the Honourable Minister of State for Works, Rt. Hon. Barr. Mohammed Bello Goronyo, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Works, Engr. Folunso  O. Adebiyi and  key directors of the Ministry, the Honourable Minister, described as mischievous, insensitively misleading and injurious the statement credited to him in the said publication, where he was wrongly quoted to have said that  *Infoquest Nigeria Ltd* secured a "No objection" of N252.89 billion from the Bureau of Public Procurement ( BPP) for the rehabilitation of a section Abuja- Kaduna- Zaria-Kano road and where they described  the Ministry as having awarded  the said contract to an obscure company. 


2. He made it clear that the Ministry had no business relationship with *Infoquest Nigeria Ltd*. He further made it known that the company that has a contractual relationship  with the Ministry on the said project is *Infiouest International Limited* and that the company  is corporately active and is absolutely in compliance with all legal requirements and regulations set by the Companies and Allied Matters Act. He berated the mischief  created  by the publication as a deliberate orchestration by a cartel to malign the Ministry, undermine  the efforts of the Renewed Hope administration in revolutionizing  road infrastructure  development and demarket the company that has proven capacity in road construction. He demanded from Daily Trust Newspapers a public apology to the Federal Ministry of Works to be published in at least 5 national dailies for unjustifiably publishing falsehood against the Ministry of Works.


3. The Honourable Minister also alluded  to the mischiefs and deliberate misrepresentation of facts contained in the sponsored publications made in several  national dailies by Julius Berger Plc recently on the reason why they reneged in their contractual obligations in respect  of the section of  Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano road they were handling before  it was determined.   He  wondered why the coordinated onslaught of falsehood, blackmail, gangup by adversaries to the policy of government just because of the Ministry's insistence on a new order of  value for money, quality assurance and best practices  in project pricing and execution. He urged the public and the press to join in this desirable fight against national sabotage by some contractors.


4. In his remarks, the Honourable Minister of State for Works said he was delighted  by  the proactiveness and resoluteness  shown by the Ministry in decapitating  the intentions of those who made the false publication against  the Ministry which according to him was intended to distract  the Ministry and undermine its confidence before Nigerians. He called  on the media operators not to allow themselves  to be used by the fifth columnists to publish unfounded reports to undermine  the Renewed Hope agenda but should always crosscheck  their information  with the appropriate authority so as to let out only the truth to the public.

5. 5. In his vote of thanks, the Permanent Secretary described  the press briefing as thoughtful and timely. He  harped  on the importance of development journalism and urged the media to always uphold  the truth in their professional duties of information dissemination rather than allow themselves to be used as a tool in the hands of enemies of our national development.

Hon. Barr. Orji Uchenna Orji

Special Adviser ( Media) to the Honourable Minister of Works

CKN NEWS

Chris Kehinde Nwandu is the Editor In Chief of CKNNEWS || He is a Law graduate and an Alumnus of Lagos State University, Lead City University Ibadan and Nigerian Institute Of Journalism || With over 2 decades practice in Journalism, PR and Advertising, he is a member of several Professional bodies within and outside Nigeria || Member: Institute Of Chartered Arbitrators ( UK ) || Member : Institute of Chartered Mediators And Conciliation || Member : Nigerian Institute Of Public Relations || Member : Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria || Fellow : Institute of Personality Development And Customer Relationship Management || Member and Chairman Board Of Trustees: Guild Of Professional Bloggers of Nigeria

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