By Nkechi Eze
The Minister of Works, Senator Engr. David Umahi, has issued a stern warning to contractors handling Federal Government road projects, declaring that poor performance and project delays will no longer be tolerated, while insisting that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should not be blamed for failures arising from contractors’ negligence.
According to an official signed statement by the Director of Information and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Works, Mohammed A. Ahmed, the Minister gave the warning during an extensive inspection tour of ongoing road and bridge projects in Kogi and Edo States.
During the visit, Senator Umahi expressed dissatisfaction with the pace of work on some sections of the Abuja-Lokoja Dual Carriageway and the dualisation of the Obajana Junction-Benin Road. He revealed that funding constraints had necessitated the reduction of one section of the Abuja-Lokoja road project from 49.28 kilometres to 28 kilometres to enable available resources to be concentrated on the most critical portions.
“I am very sad with what I saw on the ground. What was reported to us is not reflected in the actual work being done,” the Minister stated.
He reiterated the Ministry’s directive that no section of a Federal highway should remain closed for more than 14 days during construction and subsequently issued an ultimatum to the affected contractor to complete the required section within the stipulated period or risk contract termination.
The Minister also issued a 72-hour ultimatum to GELD Construction Company to effectively deploy funds already released for the project and demonstrate visible progress on site.
While expressing disappointment with some contractors, Umahi commended Messrs JRB Construction Company for the quality and pace of work on its project, describing the firm as a model of professionalism and commitment.
“If everybody does his job accordingly, there will be no reason to shift the blame to Mr. President,” he said.
The Minister noted that a significant portion of Nigeria’s Federal road infrastructure had deteriorated before the current administration came into office, stressing that President Tinubu inherited substantial infrastructure challenges but has continued to invest heavily in restoring and modernising the nation’s road network.
He further directed Federal Controllers of Works, Engineers’ Representatives and project supervisors to strengthen monitoring mechanisms and enforce greater accountability in project execution, insisting that procurement processes and project expenditures must be properly justified.
As part of the inspection exercise, the Minister visited the reconstruction of the existing pavement and completion of the additional carriageway on Section III of the Abuja-Lokoja Dual Carriageway, including works being executed by Trucrete Solutions Limited along the Koton Karfe-Abuja alignment.
He also inspected two strategic bridge projects on the corridor, as well as the ongoing dualisation of the Lokoja-Benin Road, covering the Obajana Junction-Okene and Okene-Auchi sections across Kogi and Edo States.
The inspection team further assessed progress on the flyover and interchange components being executed by CCG Contractors, with the flyovers reported to be approximately 80 per cent completed and the interchange reaching about 30 per cent completion.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Works, Senator Allwell Heacho Onyesoh, commended the Minister for his leadership and commitment to ensuring value for public funds. He maintained that political office holders should not continue to bear responsibility for the poor performance of contractors, noting that Nigerians expect timely delivery of projects and tangible results.
Senator Onyesoh also appealed to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and the Federal Ministry of Finance to ensure prompt release of funds for ongoing projects, adding that the committee would make its final assessment based on the level of commitment demonstrated by contractors.
Similarly, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Works, Hon. Akin Alabi, urged all stakeholders to support the Ministry’s efforts to deliver quality road infrastructure nationwide. He described road development as a collective responsibility and noted that President Tinubu had entrusted the Ministry with the critical responsibility of ensuring efficient project execution.
Hon. Alabi also assured contractors that the Federal Government remained committed to meeting all legitimate payment obligations, while commending JRB Construction Company for its investment and dedication to Nigeria’s infrastructure development.
Responding on behalf of his company, the Managing Director of GELD Construction Company, Mr. Fadi Azimi, assured the inspection team that work would be intensified to meet the Ministry’s expectations and improve project delivery.
The Ministry of Works reaffirmed its determination to tackle the challenge of non-performing contractors and pledged to strengthen supervision, accountability and quality assurance measures to ensure the timely completion of critical road and bridge projects across the country.
