Odita Sunday 
Umahi Threatens Sanctions for Non-Performing Contractors, Says Tinubu Shouldn’t Be Blamed for Delayed Road Projects
By Odita Sunday
The Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has warned contractors handling Federal Government road projects to improve performance or face sanctions, insisting that President Bola Tinubu should not be blamed for delays caused by contractors who fail to meet contractual obligations.
Umahi issued the warning 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 Obajana Junction-Benin Road dualisation project.
According to the minister, some contractors had failed to match progress reports submitted to the ministry with the realities on project sites.
”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 disclosed that due to funding limitations, the scope of one section of the Abuja-Lokoja road project was reduced from 49.28 kilometres to 28 kilometres to enable the government concentrate available resources on critical segments.
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 subsequently issued an ultimatum to an affected contractor to complete work within the stipulated period or risk contract termination.
Umahi also handed a 72-hour ultimatum to GELD Construction Company to effectively deploy funds already released by the Federal Government and demonstrate visible progress on its section of the project.
”If everybody does his job accordingly, there will be no reason to shift the blame to Mr President,” he stated.
While criticising poor-performing contractors, the minister commended JRB Construction Company for what he described as impressive project delivery, professionalism and commitment to quality execution.
According to Umahi, a substantial portion of Nigeria’s federal road infrastructure had deteriorated before the current administration assumed office, stressing that President Tinubu inherited major infrastructure challenges but has continued to invest heavily in road rehabilitation and expansion.
He directed Federal Controllers of Works, Engineers’ Representatives and project supervisors to intensify monitoring and enforce accountability across project sites.
The minister also inspected the reconstruction and expansion works on Section III of the Abuja-Lokoja Dual Carriageway, including projects being executed by Trucrete Solutions Limited on the Koton Karfe-Abuja axis.
Other projects inspected included two major bridge projects along the corridor and the ongoing dualisation of the Lokoja-Benin Road covering the Obajana Junction-Okene and Okene-Auchi sections spanning Kogi and Edo states.
He further assessed the flyover and interchange components being handled by CCG Contractors, with officials reporting that the flyovers had reached about 80 per cent completion while the interchange stood at approximately 30 per cent.
Speaking during the inspection, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Works, Senator Allwell Heacho Onyesoh, commended Umahi’s leadership and insistence on value for public funds.
According to Onyesoh, political office holders should no longer be held responsible for contractors’ poor performance, noting that Nigerians expect visible results and timely project delivery.
He also appealed to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and the Ministry of Finance to ensure prompt release of funds for ongoing projects.
The lawmaker added that the committee would reserve its final assessment until contractors demonstrate greater commitment and measurable progress.
Similarly, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Works, Hon. Akin Alabi, urged stakeholders to support the ministry’s efforts to deliver quality road infrastructure nationwide.
Alabi said road development requires collective responsibility and noted that President Tinubu had entrusted the ministry with a critical mandate to improve project execution.
Addressing contractors, he assured them that the Federal Government remained committed to meeting legitimate payment obligations while commending JRB Construction Company for its investment in infrastructure development.
The Managing Director of GELD Construction Company, Mr Fadi Azimi, assured the delegation that the company would intensify work on the project and improve delivery in line with the ministry’s expectations.
According to Mohammed A. Ahmed, Director of Information and Public Relations, the ministry remains committed to addressing the challenge of non-performing contractors through stronger supervision, improved accountability and timely delivery of quality road and bridge infrastructure across the country.
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