David Umahi, the Works Minister, has given contractors 72 hours to resume full operations on the Abuja-Lokoja highway project. Failure to comply will result in prosecution through law enforcement and the EFCC, he warned.
During a Tuesday inspection tour with lawmakers, Umahi took aim at contractors sitting on government funds without delivering results. "If you are holding the money of the Federal Government, you have to bring it out and do the job, or we start going to the police and the EFCC," he declared.
President Tinubu has already signed off on funding for this critical infrastructure work, according to Umahi. The minister called on all contractors to deploy equipment and staff to site without further delay.
He issued stern orders to his ministry officials as well. Officials who fail to properly monitor projects will face sanctions, Umahi made clear.
Supervisory engineers and contractors must stop sabotaging the administration's infrastructure agenda through slow work or poor quality, the minister stressed. Accountability would be enforced across the board.
Umahi acknowledged progress on certain stretches of the highway rehabilitation effort. Outstanding payments owed under previous deals will be processed once funds are disbursed, he assured.
But time is running out for urgent repairs. Over 90 percent of the Abuja-bound lane has deteriorated badly, Umahi noted.
In his words, the entire carriageway faces becoming completely unusable within months without quick action. Contractors must act now or risk consequences.
One more directive came from the minister's office on Tuesday. No contractor is permitted to strip existing asphalt from any road section without written approval from Works officials.
