Why FG must pay more attention to road construction to grow GDP – Retired director Ogbuagu
Immediate past Director, Highways, Construction and Rehabilitation at the Ministry of Works, Engr. Clement Ogbuagu, has urged the federal government to pay more attention to construction of roads nationwide in order to grow the GDP of the nation.
Speaking Thursday evening in Abuja, during a retirement party organised for him by the staff and management of the Federal Ministry of Works, Ogbuagu said no nation can develop without good roads.
He said: “I thank God for giving me the strength to go through the service and I also thank the federal government for giving me the opportunity to serve. They have really made me to impact a lot of people. Serving at the federal level has made me mix up with a lot of people. In fact, I can say that I’m a full-fledged Nigerian now because there is no part of Nigeria, any tribe that I didn’t meet while working for the federal civil service.
“Thank God for our present Minister of Works, who has brought in a lot of innovations and new technologies in the road sector. You can see that most of our roads are now on concrete pavements and that has really improved the quality of the road in Nigeria. I want the federal government to pay more attention to the road sector because it’s the road sector that grows the GDP of any nation. Without road, nothing can be, everything will go down.
“It’s with road that you can be able to do a lot of things. Federal government should pay more attention, release funds when appropriate for the road sector to continue to strive. To my colleagues that I’m leaving behind, I would tell them to carry on with the legacy of the federal civil service.
“I would advise them to always ensure that they maintain all the qualities, all the civil service rules and regulations so that they can retire well, as I’m retiring today. Maybe when I retire tomorrow, they may be called back to come and answer one thing or the other. They should be diligent in their work and make sure that their performance is impeccable.
“The federal civil service is already improving, seriously. The only thing is that all the FCIP that has been put on ground, they should just continue to improve on them.
“We have gone digital now. Almost every ministry is going digital. Very soon, all the ministries will not be carrying file or paper again. So we are improving. All the pillars of FCIP that have been put in place, it should just be supported and funded so that all the necessary things that we are supposed to benefit from the FCIP can be fulfilled.”
Permanent Secretary
Also speaking, Permanent Secretary, Mr. Rafiu Olarinre Adeladan, urged other civil servants to be dedicated in their duties in order to retire well like Ogbuagu.
“We have been doing this for a long time. Whoever is involved in these practices must be dedicated, self-reliant, and focused. Lack of dedication and self-reliance will not take us forward.
“We want to thank God for the fact that we are here today. Like most of us from this part, we are aware and ready to celebrate with you this success that we have achieved,” he said.
In his remarks, the Minister of State for Works, Barrister Bello Muhammad Goronyo, thanked Ogbuagu for his services to the nation, urging other civil servants to emulate him.
“I want to implore everybody to please join us in celebrating our man. The ministry is sad today as he leaves us, and we acknowledge the great shoes he is leaving behind. For this sector, we want to be able to give the needed support to our people. I am pleased to introduce to you a very successful and grateful man. This is a perfect combination of dedication and service,” he said.