Oshiomhole tackles Umahi over road projects

Senator Adams Oshiomhole, from Edo North, has criticized Works Minister David Umahi for perceived bias in the allocation of funds for federal road projects. Oshiomhole, speaking in a podcast interview, emphasized that addressing existing road issues should precede the creation of new ones. This disagreement arose during his defense of the National Assembly budget, where he questioned the ministry's financial priorities and questioned the allocation of funds towards new projects when many federal roads are in poor condition.

Oshiomhole argued that the ministry should first ensure that existing roads are functional before embarking on new projects, stating that "as a manager, you don’t keep building new houses when you can’t maintain the ones you have. It is common sense." He reiterated that his stance is not political, despite his affiliation with the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the President Bola Tinubu administration.

Umahi was accused of deflecting responsibility by associating himself with the president, rather than addressing the issues raised during the hearing. Oshiomhole urged ministers not to leverage their connection to the president to mask their shortcomings. He stressed that it is the minister's responsibility to evaluate road conditions, set priorities, and propose budgets accordingly.

Further, Oshiomhole challenged the minister's plan to submit additional road projects to the Federal Executive Council, advocating for the use of existing funds to repair current road systems. He questioned the selection process of contractors, questioning how some were awarded contracts and called for the ministry to hold them accountable.

Oshiomhole pointed out that the Federal Executive Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) was established for road upkeep, and he called for improved coordination between FERMA and the ministry.

The senator urged the minister to utilize reports from federal controllers of works across different regions to identify the roads in poor condition that require immediate attention, even if he cannot personally visit each road.