Minister of Works, Engr David Umahi has dismissed and tagged malicious, a trending video of a distressed woman linking him with nine years old debt over supply of election promotion materials.
The minister in a statement by his former commissioner for information and state orientation, Barr. Orji Uchenna Orji said the allegations were preposterous and nothing but a malicious propaganda of desperados who have vowed to stop at nothing in pulling him down for his uncompromising stand in reversing the ugly trends of road construction across the nation.
He said the minister of works “never had any transaction or business with such a lady either as a governor for eight years or as a deputy governor for four years or at any time in the life of the business endeavours of the minister of works and doesn’t not know the said woman”.
He added, “There was no communication or complaint or proceedings or even pre- action notice against the Hon. Minister in his previous capacities by the said woman, either directly to him or through the Police or Civil Society or through social media or by any court, all these years until now that the Hon. Minister is sounding strong on his wake up call for contractors to give Nigerians the best standard of road construction in line with the best practices as seen in advanced countries of the world.
“The minister and his team are very much aware that falsehood, blackmail, sabotage and incitement are the next line of action of these enemies of the progress of Nigeria, and they are battle ready to defend the cause of our nationhood”.
He stated that the allegations made in the said video and scenarios created are perfect examples of “the punky thoughts of detractors which resonate deeply in the recent threats of blackmail and incitements by those who, for their pecuniary attachments, are opposing the introduction of the progressive policies in the Federal Ministry of Works, including concrete technology of 50 years guarantee, use of local raw materials and mobilization of our engineering labour force to the construction and designs of our road infrastructure”.
He reiterated that the plot of detractors to use ‘ a socialite, business promoter and girl of many parts’ ,as she claims, to paint unfounded picture of non-existing contract for supply of election promotion materials is “absolutely and irresponsibly ridiculous and cannot in anyway discourage the zeal or diminish the passion of the Hon. Minister of Works in giving the road users the desired value for the huge investment on road infrastructure”.
He therefore, urged the general public to discountenance the allegations of the said woman as it was “part of the plans of the detractors to divert attention and derail the economic-diversifying innovations of the Federal Ministry of Works under Sen. Engr David Nweze Umahi.”
