Edo North Senator Adams Oshiomhole has accused Minister of Works David Umahi of bias in the allocation of funds for federal road projects, arguing that the Federal Government should prioritise the rehabilitation of existing roads before committing more resources to new ones.
Oshiomhole said many federal roads across the country remained in poor condition and required urgent attention.
He questioned the rationale behind approving new projects while several existing roads continued to deteriorate, with motorists and commuters facing difficulties on affected routes.
The former Edo State governor made the remarks during a podcast interview circulating on social media.
He revisited his disagreement with Umahi over the management of the Federal Ministry of Works and its budget priorities, insisting that his intervention during a National Assembly budget defence was part of his responsibility as a senator.
According to Oshiomhole, lawmakers must scrutinise government expenditure and demand explanations when proposed spending does not appear to address the most pressing needs of Nigerians.
He maintained that his concerns were about the allocation of public funds and the condition of the country’s road network, rather than a personal dispute with the minister.
“As a manager, you don’t keep building new houses when you can’t maintain the ones you have. It is common sense,” he said.
Oshiomhole argued that the ministry should first identify federal roads requiring urgent repairs and ensure that they were made motorable before embarking on additional construction projects.
He said road maintenance should form a central part of the ministry’s spending plan, particularly at a time when motorists continue to contend with damaged road surfaces and difficult driving conditions in different parts of the country.
The senator also rejected suggestions that his criticism was driven by political differences.
He noted that he belongs to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and is an ally of President Bola Tinubu.
However, he maintained that party affiliation should not prevent elected representatives from questioning the decisions of government officials.
He accused Umahi of invoking the President’s name instead of directly addressing the concerns raised during the budget hearing.
“Ministers should not drop his name to cover up their own mess,” Oshiomhole said.
He argued that although Tinubu heads the Federal Government, individual ministers remain responsible for decisions within their respective ministries.
In his view, the Works Minister should be able to explain how road projects are selected, how available funds are distributed and why certain projects receive priority over others.
Oshiomhole stressed that the responsibility for setting road construction and maintenance priorities rests with the ministry.
He said the minister should be prepared to defend those choices before lawmakers, particularly when the government is seeking approval for substantial expenditure on infrastructure.
The lawmaker further questioned the decision to present more road projects to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for approval while existing highways remained in need of attention.
He argued that the government should consider the condition of roads already under its responsibility before expanding its construction programme.
He also raised concerns about the process of awarding road contracts and the capacity of companies selected to execute them.
Oshiomhole said the ministry must be accountable for the contractors it engages and ensure that public funds are spent on projects capable of delivering the expected results.
