The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has warned contractors handling Federal Government road projects against delays and urged them to fulfil their contractual obligations.
Umahi gave the warning during an inspection tour of ongoing road and bridge projects in Kogi and Edo states.
According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Works, the minister expressed dissatisfaction with the pace of work on sections of the Abuja-Lokoja Dual Carriageway and the dualisation of the Obajana Junction-Benin Road.
He said reports submitted to the ministry did not accurately reflect the level of work observed during the inspection.
“I am very sad about what I saw on the ground. What was reported to us is not reflected in the actual work being done,” Umahi stated.
The minister disclosed that funding constraints had forced the government to reduce the scope of one section of the Abuja-Lokoja road project from 49.28 kilometres to 28 kilometres.
According to him, the decision was taken to concentrate available resources on the most critical sections of the road.
Umahi reiterated the ministry’s directive that no portion of any federal highway under construction should remain closed for more than 14 days.
He subsequently issued an ultimatum to one of the contractors, directing the company to complete the affected section within the stipulated period or face possible contract termination.
The minister also gave another contractor a 72-hour deadline to effectively utilise funds already released and demonstrate visible progress on the project.
Despite his concerns, Umahi praised Messrs JRB Construction Company for the quality and speed of work on its project.
He described the company as a model of professionalism and commitment to infrastructure development.
“If everybody does his job accordingly, there will be no reason to shift the blame to Mr. President,” the minister said.
Umahi noted that a significant portion of Nigeria’s federal road network had deteriorated before the current administration assumed office.
He added that President Bola Tinubu inherited major infrastructure challenges but has continued to prioritise road rehabilitation and modernisation across the country.
The minister directed Federal Controllers of Works, Engineers’ Representatives and project supervisors to strengthen monitoring efforts and ensure greater accountability on all projects.
He stressed that procurement processes and project expenditures must be properly justified and closely monitored.
During the inspection tour, Umahi visited the reconstruction of the existing pavement and completion of the additional carriageway on Section III of the Abuja-Lokoja Dual Carriageway.
He also inspected projects being executed by Trucrete Solutions Limited on the Koton Karfe-Abuja alignment, as well as two bridge projects along the same corridor.
Other projects inspected included Sections I and II of the Lokoja-Benin Road dualisation project, covering the Obajana Junction-Okene and Okene-Auchi corridors across Kogi and Edo states.
The minister further assessed the progress of flyover and interchange projects being executed by CCG Contractors.
According to the ministry, the flyovers have reached approximately 80 per cent completion, while the interchange component is about 30 per cent complete.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Works, Senator Allwell Onyesoh, commended Umahi for his commitment to accountability and value for public funds.
He said contractors must be held responsible for poor performance, noting that Nigerians expect timely project completion and quality infrastructure.
Onyesoh also appealed to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and the Federal Ministry of Finance to ensure prompt release of funds for ongoing projects.
Similarly, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Works, Akin Alabi, called on stakeholders to support the ministry’s efforts to improve Nigeria’s road network.
He assured contractors that the Federal Government remains committed to meeting all legitimate payment obligations and commended JRB Construction Company for its investment in the country’s infrastructure sector.
The Managing Director of GELD Construction Company, Fadi Azimi, assured the inspection team that the company would intensify efforts to improve project delivery and meet the ministry’s expectations.
The Ministry of Works reaffirmed its determination to address the challenge of non-performing contractors and ensure the timely delivery of quality road and bridge infrastructure nationwide.
