The Minister of Works Dave Umahi has debunked the allegations of lopsidedness in road distribution and execution.
The ministry made the denial in response to the allegations that the North was neglected in the distribution of the road projects. A statement from the ministry said:
“For the records, the Ministry of Works has continued to work diligently, transparently, and fairly in implementing the distribution of the ongoing road and bridge infrastructure interventions, nationwide.
“This applies to both the projects funded through budgetary provisions and other funding models such as the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Fund, SUKUK, Tax Credit Scheme in financing the Renewed Hope Legacy Road Projects, inherited ongoing projects and the emergency intervention ones.”
It added: “The Minister of Works Dave Umahi has commendably and unprecedentedly stepped up project monitoring and supervision mechanisms on hese projects spread across the six geo-political zones, and Nigerians can attest to the fact that every zone has its fair share in the distribution of the ongoing projects.
“Facts and figures show that out of a total of 2,735km of the legacy projects initiated by President Bola Tinubu’s administration, the North has a cumulative total of 1,414km, while the South has 1,321km amounting to a per – centage ratio of 52:48 respectively.
“Furthermore, out of 82 Sukuk-funded ongoing projects, the North has 45, while the South has 37 projects. “Of the 260 emergency projects, 98 are being executed in the South, while 108 numbers are in the South.
Additionally, out of the 44 road projects executed under the Road Tax Credit Scheme, 23 are domiciled in the North, while 21 numbers are in the South.
“To further illustrate the sense of fairness in the treatment of all parts of Nigeria by the Renewed Hope administration, at the last Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting of 23rd September, 2024, it approved the construction of 258 km 3-lane carriageway using continuously reinforced concrete pavement in Kebbi and Sokoto States – part of the 1,000km Sokoto – Badagry Superhighway, completion of the construction of the Bodo-Bonny Road with bridges across the Opobo Channel in Rivers State, the rescoping and downward review of the contract to rehabilitate the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Dual Carriageway, the construction of Cross River to Oferekpe road and the rehabilitation of Kabba (Kogi State) – IyamoyeOmuo-Ikole-Ifaki-Ado Ekiti (Ekiti State) road.
