NGO Seeks Sack, Prosecution of Umahi, Kofarmata Over Aborted Road Project 

A non-governmental organisation (NGO), Zamfara Network for Development and Social Justice, has called for the sack and immediate prosecution of the Minister of Works, David Umahi, and the permanent secretary in the ministry, Yakubu Kofarmata, for allegedly flouting section 19 of the Independent and Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) Act.

The said act prohibits a public officer from using his office for gratification by conferring corrupt or unfair advantage upon himself or any person, with a punishment of five years imprisonment.

In a statement signed by its chairman, Mansur Lawali Tsafe, the NGO accused the minister of flouting the ICPC Act in his desperation to cancel the Katsina-Dutsinma-Kankara-Maraban Kankara road project in Katsina State.

It alleged that the minister masterminded the cancellation of the road project after caving in to pressure by the duo of Katsina State Governor, Umaru Dikko Radda, and an aide of the president, Ibrahim Masari.

It urged President Bola Tinubu to act fast to save the image of his administration which got the mandate of Nigerians on the mantra of Renewed Hope, noting that the actions of the minister and the permanent secretary are capable of discouraging investors from investing in Nigeria.

According to the statement, “In clear contravention of the ICPC Act and his oath of office which provides that he be fair to all without prejudice, Minister Umahi engineered the cancellation of the Katsina road project simply because the contracting firm is linked to a chieftain of the opposition PDP.

“He also misled the Federal Executive Council into canceling a project less than four months after it was awarded following due diligence including the issuance of certificate of no objection by the BPP.

“For failing to advise the minister, we are compelled to believe that the perm sec is complicit and to that extent, he should also be sacked.” 

The NGO insisted that the Katsina road is economically beneficial to the entire North-west, especially Zamfara State.

In the 12-paragraph statement, it faulted the cancellation of the N147.6 billion road project, insisting that Umahi displayed lack of competence for the office of the minister.

“He defended the project before FEC only to turn and make a case for its cancellation after the contractor mobilised to site and according to our findings, has made appreciable progress on the repairs. Is the minister insinuating that the Bureau for Public Procurement erred in granting certificate of no objection for the project?” It said.

While describing Umahi’s action as targeted at not just the state but the entire northern part of the country, especially the North-west, the Network wondered why it is only the Katsina road project that was cancelled, adding: “Why didn’t he step down projects with far lesser budgetary provisions?”

It accused Umahi of doing the bidding of the president’s political aide, noting that “the cancellation was counterproductive to not just the ruling APC but for the president.

“From our findings, it shows that Umahi is doing the bidding of Masari who always claims to Umahi that he interfaces between the president and his spiritual men and would use that to ensure PBAT handover to Umahi at end of the president’s tenure”.

It noted that instead of attracting more support for the president, the presidential aide was making more enemies for his boss, adding that his role in the cancellation of the Katsina road project has further exposed him as someone bent on sabotaging the president.

“We have interacted with many people from Katsina who attest to the fact that Masari has little or no political relevance and cannot even deliver his polling unit during an election,” the pressure group added.

The call for Umahi’s sack is coming on the heels of widespread condemnation which greeted the cancellation of the road project.

Only recently, in its reaction to the alleged cancellation of the contract during a press briefing, the Arewa Coalition for Justice (ACJ) said Umahi’s action was politically motivated.

Ibrahim Muhammad, spokesperson of the group, said the road rehabilitation is an “economically beneficial” project and expressed the group’s “deep concern and displeasure” regarding the cancellation of the contract.