Umahi to replace federal controllers with engineers

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Minister of Works, Sen. David Umahi has said that the ministry would rely on Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) and the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) to recommend resident engineers for the ministry to supervise road constructions in the country.

Umahi said this as he expressed displeasure on the activities of federal controllers whose operation has left the roads in bad condition over the years.

The minister who said this while unfolding the renewed hope agenda and policy direction of his administration said controllers in all the states would be held responsible for poor handling of the roads.

He argued that the public expect good roads and the controllers have to come through their directors who have the mandate of the minister to challenge contractors towards delivering quality roads in the country the citizens.

The minister had said any controller who got posted to their respective location politically, would be redeployed technically because engineering cannot afford to take political consideration on the expertise needed for good and durable infrastructure.

“I am directing that controllers can no longer be engineering representatives, am giving all the directors to get one person each who must be an engineer.

“I am not looking for a consultant but an engineer who we would pay to cover engineering supervision and must be a resident engineer,” he emphasised.

The minister continued that, such resident engineer “must have not less than 15 years experience” and should pass through the scrutiny of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) and the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN).

“In our various states and zones NSE and COREN can give us people we would negotiate and pay from day one,” Umahi stated.

“In the process of making certificate, the please start with Resident Engineer, the contractor and the controller will be on site to check. Whenever there is a very big project, you have to invite the controller, they would make their foundation measurements, everybody would sign that sheet.

“Then the contractor will take his own sheet and do what is called valuation capturing the length, the width and multiply by the unit rate then you put earth work.

“Do not come and tell me the earthwork is this or that, we must get value for money,” the minister noted.

“I have noticed two controllers that must not go back to their states, I have recalled them here and am still waiting for the directors to brief them. They are from the south east and the South South.

“There is one Acting Director that does not know his left from his right in the south south, he should not be on site. This is a very serious business. How can a human being travel 14 hours between Lokoja and Benin where projects are ongoing, and monies are made. What are the controllers doing, that you cannot permit the contractors to maintain the roads.”

“You are there and the trucks are falling the roads are bad, we are going through the villages and you are controller.

“Just Yesterday one Bridge fell at the Enugu side, the controller southeast did not give that report because it doesn’t concern him; the director southeast did not give a report because it does not concern him.

“There are two collapsed section of the road in Owerri and Onitsha, the director and controller did not give report on these because it does not concern them.

“So the permanent Secretary must issue a query to the controller of Enugu, Imo and controller of Anambra, and must get the query today,” Umahi stated that such action was a shame and must be penalised.

He lauded the controller of Lagos state who saved the situation when there was public panic and outcry on the state of the bridge.

His words: “Look at Lagos state, the public was apprehensive of Dorman bridge the moment I sent it to the directors here at the ministry, they immediately contacted directors and controllers of Lagos, the Controller and the controller of Lagos in her own has gone there and they carried out evaluation and saw that it was an expansion needed all these happened within two hours. This is what society wants in a timely response to challenges,” the minister said.

The minister said all roads must be maintained henceforth because the Renewed Hope policy is service to the public.

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