FG Orders Contractors Not To Shut Roads Beyond 14 Days
The Federal Government has directed contractors handling road projects nationwide not to close roads to traffic for more than 14 days under any circumstance, as it intensifies efforts to ensure timely project delivery and reduce hardship for road users.
Minister of Works, David Umahi, issued the directive during an inspection tour of ongoing road and bridge projects in Kogi and Edo states. He also gave GELD Construction Company a 72-hour ultimatum to effectively utilise funds already released for the Abuja-Lokoja Expressway project and demonstrate visible progress on site.
Umahi warned contractors against arbitrary actions in the execution of projects, stressing that no contractor has the liberty to operate outside agreed standards and timelines.
The minister also criticised some officials of the Federal Ministry of Works for what he described as poor project supervision, accusing them of shielding underperforming contractors and issuing certificates without adequate scrutiny while the public blames the administration for delays.
According to him, ministry officials must be able to defend projects under their supervision before the National Assembly and other stakeholders, warning that ineffective personnel would be sanctioned.
Expressing disappointment over the pace of work on sections of the Abuja-Lokoja Dual Carriageway and the Obajana Junction-Benin Road dualisation project, Umahi urged contractors not to rely solely on government releases before mobilising to site.
He also called on the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) to promptly meet funding obligations for projects financed through its intervention programmes.
The minister disclosed that funding constraints had compelled the government to reduce the scope of one section of the Abuja-Lokoja road project from 49.28 kilometres to 28 kilometres in order to focus available resources on the most critical areas.
“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,” Umahi said.
He, however, commended JRB Construction Company for the quality and speed of work on its section of the 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 added.
Umahi noted that a significant portion of Nigeria’s federal road network was in poor condition before the administration of President Bola Tinubu came into office, adding that ongoing interventions are aimed at reversing years of infrastructure decay.
During the inspection, 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 undertaken by Trucrete Solutions Limited on the Koton Karfe-Abuja alignment.
He also inspected two major bridge projects along the corridor and assessed progress on the dualisation of the Lokoja-Benin Road, covering the Obajana Junction-Okene and Okene-Auchi sections across Kogi and Edo states.
In addition, Umahi reviewed work on flyover and interchange components being executed by CCG Contractors, with the flyovers reported to be about 80 per cent complete and the interchange approximately 30 per cent completed. :::
