- Minister David Umahi urged youths to support infrastructure development instead of protesting, claiming Nigeria would be a failed state without Tinubu
- He emphasized the government’s initiative, “Operation Free Our Roads,” to improve road conditions, asking for patience and support from citizens
Minister of Works David Umahi has stated that Nigeria would have become a failed state if not for the divine intervention that brought President Bola Tinubu to power at this crucial time. He said this while urging youths to abandon their planned protest and support the country’s infrastructure development efforts.
During the unveiling of the Federal Government’s initiative, “Operation Free Our Roads,” in Abuja over the weekend, Umahi emphasized that President Tinubu needs more time to transform the country. The initiative aims to ensure that all roads under construction are motorable and completed promptly.
“Let me use this opportunity to appeal to our youths to give Mr. President Bola Tinubu more time. It would have been a failed state if God had not divinely brought the President at a critical time like this. Many people did not know what challenges we had before he came on board,” Umahi said.
He called on Nigerians to be patriotic and assist the government in resetting the country so that no one is oppressed. Umahi warned that hoodlums might hijack the planned protest.
“Yes, there may be hardship, but the dawn is the darkest part of the night; we see a lot of hope and positive indices. So, let us give him more time, support him, and increase our productivity. Our country will be great again,” he added.
Explaining the “Operation Free Our Roads” initiative, Umahi noted that it is part of the government’s effort to prioritize citizens by fixing roads, especially during the rainy season.
“The contractors will use stone base to fill all the potholes in failed portions or where we have potholes; they will all be filled, both carriageways. They will continue to maintain one carriageway for vehicles to follow while they consistently work on the other carriageway. We are going to monitor this closely. All controllers and directors must be vigilant.”
He also urged the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to contribute and take the operation seriously.
“This operation frees our roads not just for the Ministry of Works but also for FERMA. We will keep a close eye on all the directors and engineers of FERMA; we must take this seriously. We will use contingency funds to ensure that all our roads are cleared. Where there is no contingency, they must notify the permanent secretary and the director of highways immediately. We do not want our people to suffer during this rainy season,” Umahi concluded.