Minister of Works, David Umahi
By EZEKIEL OBI, Abuja –
Federal Government has declared a state of emergency on the construction of the Suleja-Minna road due to the poor quality of work and abandonment of the project by the contractor, Salini Nigeria Limited.
Minister of Works, David Umahi, made the declaration on Saturday during an inspection of the road project. Umahi expressed disappointment with the condition of the road, which has been under construction for a long time.
*“Terrible Situation”*
“The road is in a very terrible situation, delaying travel time by seven hours instead of an hour and a half, and vehicles are falling and killing people,” Umahi said.
“I have declared these sections one and two, emergency projects. The president directed that urgent action should be taken, and that is why we are here.” He said.
*Contract Terminated*
The minister explained that the contract with Salini Nigeria Limited had been terminated due to poor work quality and abandonment of the project.
“The contract is irrevocably terminated due to the bad work. If Salini failed to comply with the directive under the ministry’s supervision, then the ministry would seek the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC’s) intervention to recover government money,” Umahi said.
The minister explained that two contractors are now working on the road project, including CCCC International Engineering Nigeria Ltd, which has been awarded a contract to work on a 7km stretch of the road.
The minister explained that the emergency procurement process would allow work to begin immediately, with pricing verified by the Bureau of Public Procurement.
“This is emergency procurement, work begins first, then pricing is verified by the Bureau of Public Procurement,” he said.
Niger State Governor, Mohammed Bago, has supported the federal government’s decision to declare a state of emergency on the road project.
The governor has also awarded part of the same road in his urban renewal agenda, and CCCC International Engineering Nigeria Ltd is working on a 60km stretch of the road.
*103km Road Project*
The Suleja-Minna road project is a 103km dualized road (about 206km in total). The federal government has a total of 146km left to complete, while the governor has completed 60km of the road.
The minister assured Nigerians that the federal government is committed to completing the road project and providing a safe and efficient transportation system for citizens.
