Engr David Umahi, Minister of Works, Federal Republic of Nigeria.
In a Meeting held by the members of MOBIN (Movement of Biafrans in Nigeria) where they discussed the state of the nation particularly as it affects the Igbo Nation, the Chairman of MOBIN described the Federal Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, as a perfect round peg in a round hole.
He drew the attention of the members to the news published by the Punch Newspaper on 20 October 2025 that the Minister had terminated the Road Construction Contract awarded to the China Civil Engineering Construction Company Ltd (CCECC).
He said that considering that MOBIN seeks to restore the peace, dignity, progress, and development of the Igbo Nation as they struggle for self-determination by the rule of law and political diplomacy, it is necessary for them to be concerned about what happens in their region.
He asked a rhetorical question, “if we obtain a Regional Autonomy or outright independence, shall we inherit dilapidated road networks”.
He referred o the statements made by the Minister who inspected the Road Project and found poor workmanship. The Minister stated that the Contractor had persistently refused to improve the works despite repeated warnings which had led to the collapse of sections of the Road Project despite huge funds already expended. In his words, the minister said as follows:
“This job, 43 kilometres from Port Harcourt to Aba, is an inherited project, and since we came on board, we have been doing everything, putting funds to see how we can finish one carriageway.
“And so, we started working with CCECC on this one carriageway using concrete to do the inner shoulder and the outer shoulder so as to ensure the road lasts, while they are using asphalt to do the 7.3 carriageway.
“And their method of construction has been a very serious source of concern, where you will do binder for over a stretch of 30 kilometres and you are not putting wearing. We have issued warnings to CCECC more than 20 times, and we have told them the implications of putting binder without doing shoulder and without wearing.
I want the press to capture the failure of a road that the Federal Government has used taxpayers’ money to pay for. And CCECC has consistently refused to obey all the instructions. I have been here more than seven times.
If you get to Port Harcourt end, which they did about two years or thereabouts, the entire road has almost totally failed. “I will direct the Ministry of Works to scout for very qualified indigenous contractors to handle the Port Harcourt-bound. They should be the contractor that should start work immediately, and then we should source funds for them.”
The Minister continued and said, “despite the termination, CCECC must mill out the binder already laid because it had been paid for”. He warned that he would shut down all their projects in Nigeria if they failed to comply.
“The site handled by CCECC should issue them 14-day notice of termination of this job and I want this directive to go very wide. After 14 days, if they fail to mill out the binder and replace it properly, they have to initiate it, they have to commit to doing that even if they are going to do it during the dry season.
They have to maintain the ones they have done and they must put in writing that they are going to mill out the binder at their own cost and then be able to put a new binder which we have paid for. If they don’t do that I will shut down all their projects in Nigeria. I will do that.
So, the notice of termination must be issued before Wednesday, and I will publish it so that the efforts that the President is putting in, nobody is going to sabotage it.”
He expressed displeasure and said it was regrettable that contractors handling several federal projects could still deliver poor work. He emphasised the Government’s honesty and integrity as he said, “Our conscience is very clear, and we will publish all the warnings we gave to CCECC on this project so that the whole country will see it, because when we are being de-marketed, there is nothing anybody will say about the contractor.
When we manage to pay, and then they could not do the right construction, then they have to pay for it. If from tomorrow they don’t get to start amending this, I will come back and arrest the Chinese people who are on this project because they have taken the money, and they have to maintain these places.
I was here three weeks ago. I begged them to amend this mess; they did, and they didn’t do anything about it. Now it is developing, and very soon vehicles will start falling, and then people will start dying, and nobody will call them. So, if they don’t do it I will get them arrested
Emeka Emekesiri
Barr Emekesiri who is also a Chartered Estate Surveyor and Valuer, commended Engr Umahi for his professional expertise in handling the works of the Ministry, praising him for upholding the ethics of Civil Engineering and the Building and Construction Industry.
He referred to the Minister as a Perfect Round Peg in a Round Hole who knew the specific works to be done in a Road Construction of that magnitude, and contrasted him with some ministers who were imposed on the Ministries they were not trained for and had no skill to perform.
He gave an example of his meeting with a Commissioner of Lands in one of the States in the South-East many years ago who was his School Mate at the University of Nigeria Enugu Campus who studied Medicine when he was studying as an Estate Surveyor & Valuer but was appointed as the Commissioner for Lands.
He asked rhetorically, “How can a Medical Doctor give professional advice in matters of Land Administration, Town Planning, Land Surveying, and Estate Surveying Valuation?”