East-West Road, others: Umahi set clear expectations for contractors

The Minister of Works, Egr. David Umahi, has set clear expectations for contractors handling several Federal Government road projects in the country.

The minister made this known during the inspection of ongoing road projects in the southeast and south-south geopolitical zones.

The minister, while expressing satisfaction with the quality of work on the East-West Road, Section III (Eleme Junction-Onne Junction), also directed the contractor, Messrs Reynolds Construction Company (RCC), to deploy more resources to hasten the pace of work or face re-scoping and re-award of the contract.

He reminded the contractor that he has up to the end of April, 2025 to deliver a section of the carriageway.

At Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway, Section III (Umuahia-Aba), the minister applauded the contractor, Messrs Arab Contractors (Nig.) Ltd. on the quality of work, but instructed them to deploy in two more sites to speed up the construction in order to meet the set dateline.

The minister, who was also on Section IV (Aba-Port Harcourt) of the same alignment being handled by Messrs China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC), expressed displeasure over the slow pace of work, noting that they have only been able to access N7 billion out of the N21 billion provided for the project, last year.

Consequently, he instructed the Federal Controller of Works (FCW), Rivers State to issue a warning to the contractor, threatening to terminate it, if there are no improvements in the tempo of work.

At Bodo-Bonny Road, the minister, again, voiced discontent with the level of work achieved. He urged the contractor, Messrs Julius Berger (Nig.) Plc, to upscale their deployment of men, materials and machines.

The project, a critical component of the South-South zone’s infrastructure development, is a 2-lane road with hard shoulders, 17 bridges spanning 3,200 meters and reinforced concrete pavement on Bonny Island.

At all construction sites visited, Umahi stressed the urgency to meet deadlines, emphasising that all federal contractors must intensify their efforts to ensure the timely realisation of projects, in line with the Federal Government’s resolve to enhance infrastructure and transportation as enablers of growth, succinctly captured in the Renewed Hope Agenda.

The essence is to improve connectivity, as well as stimulate socio-economic growth, he further explained.

The minister issued clear directives to Federal Controllers of Works to present at least four completed projects, each, for commissioning from February to 20th May, this year.

“The expectation is that every controller delivers on his mandates, according to specifications and time allotted. There is no room for further delays,” he said.

In light of the delay in the delivery of some projects, the minister cautioned that the ministry is poised to take decisive action.

“The ministry will not tolerate delays. Any contractor, who does not meet his contractual obligations, will face consequences, cumulating into a 14-day Notice of Termination of Contract,” he added, emphasising that such actions would apply to all underperforming contracts.

Despite the challenges, he reassured Nigerians that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains fully committed to the completion of inherited projects, as well as the four legacy projects he initiated. “The president has not abandoned these projects. It is the contractors, who have delayed the work. This year, we will be stricter in ensuring that projects are completed on course,” he assured.

Umahi guaranteed that the ministry will continue to closely monitor all ongoing projects, ensuring that they align with President Tinubu’s vision for accelerated national growth and development.

READ ALSO: Umahi to contractors: Step up your work or lose federal road contracts