For the work force at the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Abuja, it has been of intense bitterness, anger and hopelessness over what has been described as the executive recklessness and impunity in the ministry.
The worried workers accused the Minister, Engr. Nweze David Umahi of executive recklessness, unprecedented mischief and impunity, since assumption of office.
The workers who pleaded anonymity pointed out that unless President Bola Ahmed Tinubu intervened, the laudable Renewed Hope Agenda of the federal government would become an illusion.
According to the workers, trouble started for the Minister, when following his appointment last year, locked out over 300 staff and directors who resumed work late.
The public servants who expressed displeasure over the incident, also confined the minister to his office demanding an apology.
However, about four hours later, the minister was said to have come down to addressed the workers, apologising and denying issuing such directive.
The most recent of Umahi’s actions, according to sources which is causing very serious anxiety, despair and hopelessness is his alleged flagrant disregard for the Federal Government’s guidelines in the recent posting of some top officers of the Ministry.
Senator Umahi was alleged to have jettisoned President Ahmed Bola Tinubu’s approved structure for the Federal Ministry of Works and other relevant sections of the Public Service Rules and approved postings in which substantive directors were placed at par with their juniors.
The workers maintained that the actions of the Minister have generated bad blood, led to productivity decline, indiscipline, mediocrity and unnecessary rivalry in the ministry.
He was also alleged to have violated sections of Briefs For New Political appointees by appointing a Chief of Staff, not taking brief of activities of the Ministry from the appropriate officers, sidelining of the Permanent Secretary, deployment of armed military officers to the ministry, among others, when similar ministries have police officers as security personnel, amongst other civil security operatives.
The workers further accused the Minister of professional incompetence when he allegedly commenced a tour of Federal Highways without recourse to briefs on the respective projects contrary to engineering projects management procedure.
Observers believe that the Minister’s alleged actions have seriously dampened the morale and enthusiasm of very important stakeholders in the Nigerian road sector and might jeopardize the goals of President Tinubu led administration unless urgent steps are taken to address the anomaly.
Efforts by the Street Reporters Newspaper to reach the Director Press & Public Relations of the ministry, Mrs Adjobome Blessing Lere-Adams, through the Ministry’s official number, 09122058161, for reaction was unsuccessful as the number failed to connect.
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