The Minister of Works, Sen. David Umahi, has given President Bola Tinubu credit his award as the best minister.
Umahi said in a statement on Wednesday that Tinubu gave him the opportunity to serve Nigeria as a minister.
The statement was signed by Mr Mohammed Ahmed, the Director of Press and Public Relations in the Federal Ministry of Works.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Umahi, on Sunday, received the Minister of the Year Award at the Annual Silverbird Awards Night.
The annual event honours individuals, who have made significant contributions to societal development.
This year’s edition was the 20th.
It held at the Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.
In the statement, Umahi praised Tinubu for mentorship, commitment, and prioritisation of Nigeria in all aspects of governance.
He said that some roads had remained unbuilt for up to 50 years.
“However, under the President’s leadership, new regulations for road construction have significantly advanced various abandoned and legacy projects.
“Apart from undertaking numerous inherited projects nationwide, the current administration is embarking on four Legacy Road Projects cutting across all the six geopolitical zones of the country,” he said.
The minister listed the legacy projects as the 700km Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, 1,068 Sokoto-Badagry (Lagos) Highway, 474km Abakaliki–Abuja Highway, and 420km Akwanga (Nasarawa State)-Jos–Bauchi-Gombe Highway.
He said that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project and the Sokoto-Badagry Highway project were ongoing.
According to him, the contract for Abakaliki–Abuja Highway project has been awarded while the Akwanga-Jos–Bauchi-Gombe Highway project is undergoing procurement process and will soon be awarded.
Umahi said that he would remain committed to legacy-building and development of the nation’s infrastructure in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Tinubu administration.
NAN reports that Umahi dedicated the award to his family, the Minister of State for Works, the management and staff of the ministry and all Nigerians, who voted for him for the award.
According to Sen. Ben Murray-Bruce, the Chief Executive Officer of the Silverbird Group, selection for the awards was conducted online by Nigerians from all over the world, with no interference from the organisers, to ensure transparency and credibility. (NAN)
