Group Accuses Works Minister Of Frustrating Staff

Amalgamated Forum of Northern Youth, a pressure group with representation across the northern states, has alleged that Minister of Works David Umahi is running the ministry without due process.

According to the Youth, Umahi is running the ministry like a private company.

The group, in a statement issued by its leader, Bala Musa, also accused the works minister and the permanent secretary, Mr Yakubu Kofarmata, of deliberately sidelining and frustrating senior staffers in the ministry especially those from the north and South West.

“The permanent secretary is doing all it takes to frustrate senior staff from the north and those of Yoruba origin because he view them as threat”

According to the group, there is credible evidence to suggest that the minister transferred some directors who always insist that things be done according to laws guiding conduct of government offices.

“Directors and some deputy directors who insist on following the civil service guidelines have been either posted out of the ministry or sidelined. The directors of Construction and Rehabilitation (C&R), Procurement and Audit/Checking, all of whom are known to be a stickler for rules, were posted out.

The group alleged that the Director of C&R was replaced by a staff member far from his junior who is not competent as a result, the work for which the department is supposed to do is suffering.

“Right now, there are many files left untreated. Worse of all, contractors have to part with money before their files can be processed and treated for payment. At the point of payment, contractors still have to give kickbacks. The ministry is dead.

“Because activities in the ministry are run without due process, some senior staff are dissatisfied but cannot talk for fear of being victimized” the group alleged.

It noted that fact at its disposal points to a deliberate plot to silenced senior staff who are of the northern extraction because of some vested interests who feel threatened by their presence in the ministry.

The group also claimed to have interacted with some staff who noted that contractors have been forced to abandon sites due to non-payment and cannot speak out for fear of being blacklisted.

It accused the minister and the permanent secretary of demanding for percentage before awarding contracts and also demanding for same at the point of payment even as it claimed the duo have hijacked Bill One which was hitherto used by state offices as operational costs.

The youths called on the president to either sack or redeploy the works minister and also ensure immediate posting of the permanent secretary because their actions run contrary to the government’s desires to revamp infrastructure across the country.