The Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has insisted that President Bola Tinubu should not be held responsible for delays in the execution of federal road projects, warning contractors to improve performance or face sanctions.
This was contained in a statement on Wednesday, by Mohammed A. Ahmed, Director, Information and Public Relations Department.
Umahi made the remarks during an inspection tour of ongoing road and bridge projects in Kogi and Edo states, where he expressed dissatisfaction with the pace of work on sections of the Abuja-Lokoja Dual Carriageway and the dualisation of the Obajana Junction-Benin Road.
The minister said many of the challenges facing the projects stemmed from poor contractor performance rather than a lack of commitment by the Federal Government, stressing that the Tinubu administration had continued to invest heavily in road infrastructure despite inheriting a severely deteriorated federal road network.
“If everybody does his job accordingly, there will be no reason to shift the blame to Mr. President,” Umahi said.
He lamented that reports submitted to the Ministry did not reflect the actual level of work on some project sites and warned contractors against actions capable of undermining public confidence in government projects.
According to him, funding limitations had compelled the Ministry to reduce the scope of one section of the Abuja-Lokoja road project from 49.28 kilometres to 28 kilometres in order to concentrate available resources on the most critical segments.
“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,” he stated.
The minister reiterated the Ministry’s directive that no section of a federal highway should remain closed for more than 14 days during construction and issued an ultimatum to the affected contractor to complete the required work within the stipulated timeframe or risk contract termination.
He also handed GELD Construction Company a 72-hour deadline to demonstrate significant progress using funds already released for the project.
Despite his criticism of underperforming contractors, Umahi commended JRB Construction Company for the quality and speed of its work, describing the firm as a model of professionalism and dedication.
The inspection covered the reconstruction and expansion of Section III of the Abuja-Lokoja Dual Carriageway, including work on the Koton Karfe-Abuja alignment being executed by Trucrete Solutions Limited.
The minister also assessed two major bridge projects along the corridor and inspected Sections I and II of the Lokoja-Benin Road dualisation project spanning Kogi and Edo states.
Umahi further reviewed ongoing flyover and interchange construction being handled by CCG Contractors, noting that the flyovers had reached about 80 per cent completion, while the interchange component stood at roughly 30 per cent.
Backing the minister’s position, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Works, Senator Allwell Onyesoh, said elected officials should not continue to bear responsibility for the poor performance of contractors, adding that Nigerians expected value for money and timely completion of projects.
He urged the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and the Federal Ministry of Finance to ensure prompt release of funds to support ongoing infrastructure works across the country.
Similarly, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Works, Hon. Akin Alabi, called for collective support for the Ministry’s efforts to improve the nation’s road network, noting that President Tinubu had entrusted the Ministry with a critical mandate to transform road infrastructure.
Alabi assured contractors that the Federal Government remained committed to meeting legitimate payment obligations and praised JRB Construction Company for its investment and commitment to national development.
Responding to the concerns raised during the inspection, GELD Construction Company’s Managing Director, Fadi Azimi, pledged to accelerate work and meet the Ministry’s expectations.
The Federal Ministry of Works said it would continue to strengthen project supervision and enforce accountability measures to ensure timely delivery of quality road and bridge infrastructure nationwide.