By Chidiebere Ugwu
As part of the strategic and holistic security roadmap of the Federal Government under President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, the Hon. Minister of Works, Sen. Engr Nweze David Umahi, CON had a closed door meeting with his counterpart, the Hon. Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubarkar, (CON), and the Chief of Army Staff
(COAS), Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja in his office at the Federal Ministry of Works, this 19th January 2024, and the focus was on strengthening collaborations towards improving the nation’s internal security through revolutionalizing road infrastructure development.
According to a statement by Hon. Barr. Orji Uchenna Orji, the Special Adviser ( Media) to the Hon. Minister of Works, during the meeting, Engr Umahi, praised the interactive meeting as a Renewed Hope initiative that would add value to the implementation of the security roadmap of the present administration.
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He commended the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for appointing men of proven professional capacities and passion for service delivery to tackle the security challenges facing our country, and expressed hope that with the interventions of Mr. President towards rejiging the nation’s road infrastructure, military operations across the nation would assume greater impetus.
” I commend Mr. President very highly, and I thank members of the public who have also supported in different dimensions. Yes, we have discussed certain infrastructure as it concerns my ministry to enhance their performances, and our minds are working together. The main focus of Mr. President, when it comes to road infrastructure, is the interstate routes that are linked to security operations nationwide, the palliative jobs, and the roads that are linked to markets, industries, and factories etc. And so, this is one of the mandates that Mr. President has given to us. And so, we are going to hasten this mandate and to ensure that the desire of Mr. President, as far as road infrastructure is concerned, is achieved”
“Road is everything. If you improve the roads, you have improved security, agriculture, education, and commerce, and you have improved the happiness of people. And this is just what Mr. President is doing. We have started to be in the field to repair over 320 roads that Mr. President directed us to do.”
Speaking on behalf of the visiting team, the Chief of Army Staff said that the essence of the meeting was to discuss with the Hon. Minister of Works elements of national power support to the military field operations with a focus on the role of infrastructural upgrade in the enhancement of military operations across the country.
“We have discussed extensively, and we are glad that the Hon. Minister of Works is disposed to some of the suggestions that we have made on the need to focus on some critical roads that will impact positively on military operations across the country. And so, the Minister of Works has made some promises, and we look forward to seeing activities of contractors and other agents focus in this direction in the field, and the military will support them going forward. Overall, improved security is our objective, and we will continue to pursue that.”
