“Over 70% percent of the roads I did in Ebonyi State, they were all federal roads and I wasn’t complaining. If there’s an avenue for refund so while others are moving for refund, my governor would also move for refund.’’

Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has said a huge percent of the road projects he worked on while he was a governor were federal roads, and called on governors to help in the construction of roads.

He said this on Thursday while featuring on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.

“So, I find it very funny when some people go to put up signboards because they’re trying to do palliatives and they say this is a federal road and it’s being done by the state government because it’s still one government and one people. So, I advise state governors to come in.

“Over 70% percent of the roads I did in Ebonyi State, they were all federal roads and I wasn’t complaining. If there’s an avenue for refund so while others are moving for refund, my governor would also move for refund’’.

“I have a different view about this issue of federal and state roads and when I was a governor, I didn’t consider federal roads to state roads, I had to do them, It’s better to do the job and then you start asking for a refund but the beauty of it is that Nigerians don’t know (the difference between) federal roads and state roads,” he said.

Aside from this, Umahi also urged contractors to utilize public funds for the betterment of the people.

“They have to make up their mind to work for Nigerians. They have to make up their mind that this is public funds and I tell people public funds have a lot of problems because when you take public funds without using it to work, you’re taking lives and it has a lot of consequences. [This] is very important,” Umahi added.

As part of moves to drive to better the quality of Nigerian roads, Umahi said Nigerians can always reach him to report issues bothering on roads to him.

“Even when I was governor, I had only one line and I responded to all text messages and phone calls,” Senator Umahi said. “Some call me to abuse me and sometimes I abuse them back, that is the beauty of democracy, freedom of speech and I’m also human.”