By John Alechenu
ABUJA — The Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, has dismissed opposition to the All Progressives Congress, APC, Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket, urging Nigerians to focus on performance rather than religion.
Umahi spoke on Monday when members of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja.
His comments came amid controversy over recent remarks by Jos-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Yahaya Jingir, and reactions from Nigeria’s Ambassador to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode, former Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung, and others.
Umahi said religion should not be used as a basis for assessing the performance of government officials.
“What has religion got to do with performance? If we agree that we are brothers and sisters, forget about your religion. Because nobody intentionally chose a religion. It is based on worshipping God. And we are all created by the same God,” he said.
“But when people don’t know what to talk about, they begin to talk about mundane things. They begin to become sentimental.”
The minister urged Nigerian students to actively support President Bola Tinubu’s administration, particularly its reforms in the education sector.
He also challenged students to defend what they consider the achievements of the administration whenever they encounter what he described as false narratives on social media.
“This is the time to take sides in our national affairs,” Umahi said.
He cited several ongoing road projects as evidence of the administration’s performance, including the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Superhighway, which he said covers 375 kilometres in each direction.
“We have spent over $200 million on that project. Over 80 per cent has been paid. We are believing that by November, the entire stretch will have been completed,” he said.
Umahi also cited the 350-kilometre Sokoto-Zamfara road project, valued at about $800 million; the 260-kilometre Benue-9th Mile road project, valued at $959 million; and the 39.7-kilometre Port Harcourt road project, valued at $280 million.
He said the Federal Government had also approved a new flyover on the Benue-9th Mile route to address safety concerns.
On education, the minister claimed that industrial actions in tertiary institutions had reduced under the Tinubu administration, saying, “For the first time, students never went on strike. Never. Look at the stability of the nation. Never happened in the history of this country.”
He further claimed that inflation was declining, citing the price of a 50kg bag of rice, which he said had fallen from more than N80,000 in 2023 to about N55,000.
“The worst is over,” Umahi said.
The minister said President Tinubu should not be blamed for poor performance in any sector, arguing that the President had delegated responsibilities to ministers and other appointees.
“The President has divided himself into a number of his appointees. Blame us and not the President when things are not going well. That is leadership,” he said.
Earlier, the NANS President, Comrade Babatunde Akinteye, commended Umahi for what he described as visionary leadership and delivery of road infrastructure across the country.
Akinteye said the students’ visit was to recognise Umahi’s contributions to national development and the impact of road infrastructure on students.
“For students, infrastructure is not an abstract concept. A bad road can mean arriving late for examination. A bad road can increase the cost of your transportation to school,” he said.
He added that an efficient road network could connect students to institutions, internships, businesses, jobs and the wider economy.
Akinteye listed projects including the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway, Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano road, Enugu-Onitsha Expressway and the 3,000-kilometre coastal corridor as among projects under Umahi’s supervision.
He also highlighted the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and Lagos-Sokoto Road, describing them as landmark projects capable of improving connectivity and economic activity across the country.
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