How Umahi’s sanction triggered protest at works ministry

Civil servants in the ministry of Works blocked access into the ministry in the early hours of Thursday. Daily Trust leant that the protesting staff resorted to the action after the supervising minister, Sen. David Umahi ordered the closure of the gate into the ministry due to some staff resuming late to office. Though the […]

Civil servants in the ministry of Works blocked access into the ministry in the early hours of Thursday.

Daily Trust leant that the protesting staff resorted to the action after the supervising minister, Sen. David Umahi ordered the closure of the gate into the ministry due to some staff resuming late to office.

Though the minister later asked for the gate to be opened, the staff, however, prevented access into the ministry as they claimed the minister acted without giving warning before engaging in his action.

A staff member of the ministry who did not want his name in print, due to the fear of losing his job, said the workers acted in retaliation due to the way the minister had been running the affairs of the ministry.

He said the staff of the ministry mostly live in the outskirt of Abuja and have to contend with high cost of transportation and traffic jam to reach their office daily.

“Locking out the staff was not the only reason they locked the ministry, the minister has been running a one-man show since he was appointed and recently, he threatened to sack state comptrollers due to flimsy excuses.”

“I believe this was an opportunity for them to vent their anger.”

Recall that the minister had in a press briefing on Tuesday accused directors of not supervising contractors adequately and conniving with them to increase road contracts.

He said the lax supervision was the reason roads in the country do not last long.

He also accused them of having blood on their hands over the number of people that die in road accidents and those that were kidnapped.