Nasarawa State House of Assembly has prevailed on the state government to order the immediate suspension of work on the Toto/Umaisha road over the failure of the contractor to meet the timeline for its completion.
Chairman of the House Committee on Works, Hon. Suleiman Azara, made the call when the State Ministry of Works and Transports appeared before his committee for its budget assessment for the first quarter of 2025 in Lafia.
Azara, who is also the majority leader of the House expressed dismay on the slow pace of the work, saying that the contractor lacked the capacity to construct the road.
He said it was disheartening that the road project, for which the contract stipulation is for a year, has not been completed three years later.
“We cannot sit down and allow some contractors to sabotage the good efforts of the state government because His Excellency, Gov. Abdullahi Sule, mean well and has a passion for the development of the state.
“In view of this, we are urging the state government to stop Ela Engineering and Construction Nigeria Limited, which is handling the construction of Toto/ Umaisha road, from working on the said road,” he said.
According to him, the committee would meet with Governor Sule to provide a final solution to the anomaly and ensure that the road is fully constructed.
He reiterated the commitment of his committee to synergise with the state government to provide infrastructure across the communities of the state.
Responding, the commissioner for Works and Transports, Muazu Gosho explained that the state government is working towards addressing the problem.
He said the ministry has reached an agreement with Governor Sule regarding the Toto/Umaisha road construction and other road projects facing similar challenges in the state.
He appreciated the committee for ensuring that the right things are done for the overall development of the state.
