Minister of Works Engr. Nweze David Umahi has said some contractors have been collecting money from the federal government without executing the project for over 10 years.
His declaration has prompted Niger state Governor Mohammed Umar Bago to call on the Federal Government to revoke the contract for the dualisation of the Suleja-Minna road award 14 years ago.
The Duo spoke at a Town Hall Meeting and Stakeholders Engagement on the construction of the 125KM:3- Lanes Single Carriage (Niger State Component) of the 1,068KM Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway held at Legbo Kutigi International Conference Centre in Minna.
The Minister decried the poor state of federal roads in Niger state as well as others across the nation, recalling that many of the projects were awarded as far back as 2010. Yet, it has remained abandoned and not completed by successive administrations.
He, therefore, threatened to take decisive action against the Contractors handling the projects, saying that the companies could only continue to collect money from the federal government for over 10 years if they executed the project.
“I was initially told that work on Minna-Suleja road has reached 86℅. However, when I travelled to Minna, I noticed nothing had been done, yet the contractor kept collecting money on it.”
“The Bida-Lapai-Lambata Road is still at 64% completion despite the contract being awarded over a decade ago. Presently, quality infrastructure and timely project completion are priorities for both state and federal stakeholders,” Umahi further highlighted.
On the importance of the stakeholders meeting, which focused on constructing the 125-kilometer, three-lane, single-carriageway Niger State segment of the larger 1,068-kilometer Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway, he said the Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway is a federal road that will pass through several states, including Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Ogun, Oyo, and Lagos, with 125 kilometers of the highway to be constructed in the State.”
Meanwhile, Niger state Governor Mohammed Umar who also spoke at the event, said the contractor handling Minna – Suleja dualisation cannot allegedly execute the project, and the contract should be revoked.
The Governor observed that Salini Construction Company has failed to deliver the project for over 14 years since the contract was awarded and should, therefore, be terminated.
He declared thus, “I will look at this in the face and say, Salini has failed, and they don’t have the capacity. We are calling on the Minister to revoke the contract given to the company and award to Hi-Tech Construction company or CCECC to handle just like the way the Abuja-Kano road was revoked from Julius Berger recently,”
He also called on the federal government to refund funds invested by the Niger state Government for the rehabilitation of federal roads in the state, saying, “We have put our resources into the federal government roads project in Niger state, and we are asking for a refund. We did it because we have the same aspirations and dreams as the federal government.”
