Minister of Works Engr. David Umahi has said President Bola Tinubu at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting did not stop work on inherited projects.
The minister made the clarification during a meeting with contractors of the ministry in Abuja yesterday.
He said contrary to media reports, President Tinubu directed that inherited projects should be reviewed in line with the current realities, hence, the ministry would review the projects and present to the FEC for approval.
He said some of the inherited projects were awarded 18, 10 or five years ago when the dollar was about N185.
He said the subject matter at FEC was not about the unit cost because the federal government was satisfied with the unit cost offered to contractors.
He said; “They were also satisfied with the need to review the projects, some of these projects were awarded 18 years ago, some 10 years ago, five years ago and so all these projects were in deficit. There is absolute justification to review these projects where there is budgetary provision and that is the concern of FEC.”
“Neither the president nor FEC directed that inherited projects should be stepped down rather it was Mr President out of his magnanimity and being exceptional who directed that all inherited projects should be made alive through appropriation promising that he was going to be looking for ways to fund the projects even out of the budgetary provisions through the National Assembly and that is simply what the ministry of works did and so in reviewing the inherited projects, what we are doing now is to review the projects in line with availability of funds and make a proposal to FEC that in subsequent appropriation money should be made available for such projects so that it will be completed.
“We are reviewing such projects to go back to FEC in line with their directive. The president has not directed us to step down all inherited projects.”
He warned that contractors delaying jobs and playing with the lives of Nigerians would lose their jobs.
The minister disclosed that the ministry would start monthly publication of jobs done by the various contractors and charged all to sit up.
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