The Federal Government has announced the termination of the contract for Section 1 of the Kano-Maiduguri Road project due to prolonged delays.
David Umahi, the Minister of Works, said this in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Uchenna Orji on Saturday, noting that the contract which was originally awarded to Dantata & Sawoe Ltd in 2007, has faced numerous setbacks.
The minister expressed frustration with the slow progress, emphasizing the negative impact on road users.
He stated that the government would no longer tolerate such delays and called for accountability in the execution of projects.
In addition, Umahi revealed that a technical team has been sent to assess a different section of the road in Bauchi State, which was recently damaged by flooding.
“I’m directing the Director of Highway Rehabilitation to liaise with the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Works to immediately deploy some technical personnel to evaluate what can be done over there.”
The Minister also said he intends to hold the original contractor responsible for the road’s failure to withstand the flood.
He further stressed the importance of ensuring the durability of government projects and urged contractors involved in the Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Scheme to speed up their work and meet deadlines.
The Minister urged all contractors involved in the Tax Credit Scheme to expedite their work and meet agreed-upon milestones, noting that the affected projects include major roads in Lagos, Kaduna, Borno, Kwara, and Niger states, among others.
