Restoration Agency head Mustafa Nayyem resigns due to 'constant opposition and resistance'

The head of the State Agency for Restoration and Development of Infrastructure, Mustafa Nayyem, resigned, declaring "constant opposition and resistance".

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"I am leaving the position of the head of the Restoration Agency. I made the decision on my own due to systemic obstacles that do not allow me to effectively carry out my duties," Nayyem wrote on Facebook.

According to him, the problems began in November 2023, and after the dismissal of the Minister of Infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov, the situation became hopeless.

"Beginning last November, the agency's team began to face constant opposition, resistance and the creation of artificial obstacles," Nayyem said.

He explained that, firstly, the Restoration Agency disagreed with the cancellation of the budget for road repair and maintenance projects.

Secondly, the agency's work was made a "nightmare" by increased bureaucracy: documents for the payment for defense structures, fortifications, or restoration began to be agreed upon in the government for months, constantly being returned or delayed.

And thirdly, at the beginning of 2024, the salaries of the agency were sharply cut, for many employees – up to 68%.

The last straw for Nayyem was that Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal did not allow him to attend the conference on the restoration of Ukraine in Berlin.

"Understanding the responsibility that rests on our team, I will carry out my duties until the government approves my discharge and hand over the affairs to my successors," Nayyem wrote.

Nayyem has led the Restoration Agency since its creation in 2023. This agency is the former Ukravtodor road agency, to which the government joined Ukrinfraproject.

Prior to that, Nayyem served as the deputy infrastructure minister from August 2021.

In the period from November 2019 to April 2021, he worked as the deputy CEO of the Ukroboronprom defense corporation until his position was cut.

In 2014-2019, he was a member of the Ukrainian parliament from the Petro Poroshenko Bloc, and before that he worked as a journalist for many years.