The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has directed all Federal Controllers of Works to ensure the completion of at least four projects each before their scheduled commissioning between February and May 20, 2025.
The directive is part of the government’s efforts to fast-track ongoing infrastructure projects across the nation.
In a statement issued by the Ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Mohammed Ahmed, on Thursday in Abuja, Umahi emphasized that there would be zero tolerance for delays.
Speaking during an inspection tour of road projects in the South East and South-South geopolitical zones, Umahi stressed the importance of meeting deadlines.
“The expectation is that every Controller delivers on his mandates according to the specifications and timelines provided. There is no room for further delays,” Umahi stated.
The Minister also issued a stern warning to contractors lagging in their commitments, stating that underperformance would not be condoned.
He listed possible repercussions, such as a 14-day notice period for contract termination for any contractor that doesn’t fulfil their end of the bargain.
“Delays will not be accepted by the Ministry. There will be repercussions for any contractor that fails to execute their obligations. Any contract with poor performance is subject to this action,” Umahi said.
Umahi assured Nigerians that President Bola Tinubu remains resolute in completing both ongoing and newly initiated projects.
He clarified that delays stemmed from contractor inefficiency, not government neglect.
He reiterated that Tinubu’s four legacy projects remain a top priority for the administration.
“The President has not abandoned these projects. It is the contractors who have delayed the work. This year, we will be stricter in ensuring that projects are completed on time,” he explained.
The minister stressed plans to strengthen monitoring of all road and bridge projects to ensure they are in line with Tinubu’s vision for national development.
He called for closer cooperation between the government, contractors and the public to complete the projects on time.
“No contractor should get government cash yet fail to deliver. From now on, we will be more vigilant and take the necessary steps to ensure that these projects are completed successfully,” he affirmed.
During an inspection of Section IV (Aba-Port Harcourt) of a road project managed by Messrs China Civil Engineering Construction Company, Umahi expressed displeasure over the slow pace of work.
He noted that only N7bn out of the N21bn allocated for the project by 2024 had been disbursed.
He, therefore, asked the Rivers State Federal Control of Works Agency to issue a warning to the contractor, threatening to terminate the contract if timely improvements were not made.
A visit to the Bodo-Bonny Road project, a critical infrastructure development in the South-South zone, uncovered similar difficulties.
Messrs Julius Berger (Nig.) Plc is in charge of the project, which includes a two-lane road, 17 bridges totalling 3,200 meters, and reinforced concrete pavement on Bonny Island.
Umahi ordered the contractor to speed up resource deployment despite having worked through the Yuletide holidays.
“The need to meet deadlines cannot be emphasised. All federal contractors must step up their efforts to ensure the timely delivery of these critical projects,” he said.
Umahi stressed the significance of stepping up efforts to achieve project deadlines.
He emphasised that federal contractors prioritise the prompt completion of major infrastructure projects, which are crucial to Nigeria’s economic progress.
