Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has responded to allegations by the lawmaker representing Edo North Senatorial District, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, over the distribution of federal road projects across the country.
Oshiomhole had, during Thursday’s Senate proceedings, accused the minister of favouring certain regions in the award and execution of road projects, claiming several major federal highways in Edo State had been neglected.
According to the former Edo governor, motorists can no longer conveniently travel from Benin to Warri, Asaba, Auchi or Okene because of the poor state of the roads.
“You cannot go from Benin to Warri, Asaba, Auchi or Okene. What have we done wrong? I think the minister has consistently shown that there is no federal allocation,” Oshiomhole said, while urging the Senate to appeal to the minister to adopt a more balanced national approach.
Umahi dismisses allegations
Speaking on Friday while inspecting an ongoing road project, Umahi declined to engage in a public confrontation with the senator, describing Oshiomhole as his senior in both governance and the legislature.
“People said that I should go and debate with Oshiomhole. I cannot debate with Oshiomhole; I can only reason with him.”
The minister noted that they had worked together in government, recalling that Oshiomhole was governor of Edo State while he served as deputy governor in Ebonyi State.
“The road was awarded during your tenure”
Umahi said one of the roads highlighted by Oshiomhole was awarded by the Federal Government in 2018, while the senator was still serving as governor of Edo State.
According to him, Oshiomhole could have intervened on the federal road during his administration instead of criticising the current government.
“He is my senior in governance, and he is also my senior in the legislature. We served together when I was a deputy governor and he was a governor.”
“The road he is talking about, that straight road from Lokoja down to Benin and Warri, was awarded in 2018 when he was still a governor.”
Umahi added that, during his time as governor of Ebonyi State, he executed several federal road projects without publicly complaining.
“I expected him to have done part of that federal road. When I was a governor, I did a lot of federal roads, and I did not complain.”
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