Umahi Opens Road Contracts To EFCC, ICPC Scrutiny

The Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, on Wednesday, disclosed that operations within his ministry are transparent, adding that there is nothing to hide.

The minister said all road projects being handled by his ministry are open to independent scrutiny by anti-corruption agencies.

Umahi disclosed this in Abuja while receiving a “Personality of the Year Award” from Al-Jazeera Newspaper Nigeria.

The minister announced that his ministry had written to the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to conduct independent investigations into federal road projects nationwide.

He said: “We wrote to ICPC to go round and investigate all our projects, not on paper, but physically. We also wrote to EFCC. We are not hiding anything”.

According to him, the ICPC had already concluded part of its assignment and is currently reviewing procurement processes within the ministry, while the EFCC is expected to begin its investigation after the Sallah break.

“There is nothing we do in the Ministry of Works that we cannot defend. Everything is done in the open,” Umahi added.

The minister explained that the ministry’s costing system allows for a detailed breakdown of materials and construction processes.

“If you ask me about any project cost, we can disaggregate it cement, sand, chippings, equipment everything is accounted for,” he said.

He noted that the shift from asphalt to concrete roads, though initially resisted, was in the public interest.

“We fought that battle because we believe concrete roads will last longer and serve Nigerians better,” he said.

Umahi added that poor road infrastructure restricts movement and economic activities.

“When a road is cut off, it is like putting people in prison. That is what we are trying to change,” he said.

On the award, Umahi expressed his appreciation to the media organisation, saying that it had documented his achievements.

Speaking earlier, the Chief Executive Officer of the platform, Williams Bassey, said the award followed a rigorous evaluation and peer review process.

“After a month of rigorous evaluation and peer consultation, the committee unanimously selected David Umahi as Personality of the Year 2025 in the category of Infrastructure Transformation,” he said.

Bassey described Umahi as a public servant whose leadership has driven significant infrastructure improvements under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.

“This honour recognises your remarkable strides in infrastructure development and your role in elevating road construction standards across the country,” he said.

He added that the organisation had conducted extensive investigations into allegations surrounding the ministry’s operations without finding evidence of wrongdoing.