The Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, on Monday gave reasons why he will not appear before the House of Representatives Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA).
The Chairman of the Committee, Remi Oseni, had last week declared that the Minister has misplaced his priorities over roads construction in the country.
He went further to accuse the minister of neglecting his duty and priorities and concentrating on less priority areas.
Addressing journalists in his office on Monday, the Minister said that he will not join issues with Oseni because of the respect he has for the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the National Assembly.
But he said he needed to make some clarification on some of the issues raised.
While reeling out some of the achievements recorded in the ministry in the last 14 months, Minister noted that the committee Chairman is using every opportunity to insult him and the Federal Ministry of Works.
Senator Umahi maintained that the committee chairman left his area of responsibility, which is FERMA and continued to attack the Federal Ministry of Works.
For him to have full oversight over his ministry, he urged Oseni to apply to be a Co-Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Works.
Stressing that he has great respect for the 10th National Assembly, especially the committees of Work in the Senate and the House of Representatives, he however maintained that the House Committee Chairman on FERMA is being used to hit him and the his ministry by some aggrieved contractors that are not happy with ongoing reforms in the ministry.
He said that he will only appear before the committee if the Speaker of the House of Representatives, intervenes.
The Minister pointed out that Oseni has not achieved half of what he (Minister) has achieved in his lifetime.
He said, “Let me say that I was not physically present at the meeting, nor was my permanent secretary because nobody can talk to me like that in my presence. It’s not possible.
“And from what I gathered, he is possibly working with some contractors who are not happy with the reform in the Ministry of Works, or he thought I was going to be removed. And so his anger is, why was I not removed?
“For the respect of Mr. Speaker, and of course the Senate President, and the National Assembly Institution that I belong to, I will refrain myself from joining issues with him. He said I have failed.
“No one in life ever said I have failed and I have never failed in anything I am involved in, and if he likes, he should go and check my pedigree.
"I believe that God has to be with him to attain half of what I have attained in life. So, I will not join issues with him because I have tremendous respect for Mr Speaker and the National Assembly.”
Continuing, he said “When he invites us, of course, we will not attend any invitation unless Mr. Speaker directs otherwise.
“Because this is the same man that had a public function in Lagos, and he was insulting me. And again, he was insulting me.
“By next week, we are going to publish what success we have achieved in those N300bn projects. We used it to procure over 330 roads, palliatives, and bridge repairs, which were properly procured and properly executed.
“Today, we have achieved over 85 per cent completion. And so when we publish it, I want him to go there, I’m going to put the phone number of the contractors and then put the status, and he can verify.
“And when he verifies, I request that he tenders an all-reserved apology because all he did was to represent the contractors and incite the public against the government that brought him in.” the Minister stated