The Federal Government has terminated the contract for Section 1 of the Kano-Maiduguri road project awarded to Dantata & Sawoe Ltd since 2007.
The termination, the Minister of Works, David Umahi, said was due to the expiration of the contract’s time frame, highlighting the government’s push to ensure that long-standing infrastructure projects meet their intended deadlines and deliver value for money.
The government also assured Bauchi Governor Bala Mohammed of immediate intervention to repair a flood-damaged section of the Kano-Maiduguri federal road within the State.
The road was recently severed by floodwaters following a heavy downpour, leaving the local Malori-Guskuri community in Katagun Local Government Area cut off and severely impacting their livelihoods.
Speaking during a performance review meeting on road projects under the Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Scheme held on August 9, 2024, in Abuja with representatives from Dangote Group of Companies, BUA Group of Companies, and Mainstream Energy Solutions Ltd, the Minister revealed the government’s intent to revisit and revise the liability period for all federal projects to guarantee durability and optimal value for public funds.
According to a statement on Saturday by the Minister’s Special Adviser on Media Uchenna Orji, the Minister emphasised the importance of accelerating the completion of critical infrastructure projects, particularly those funded under the Tax Credit Scheme, which includes major roadways vital to the nation’s economy.
“Going forward, there will be a clear agreement on milestone completion timelines for ongoing projects under the Tax Credit Scheme.
“My position as the Minister of Works is that everybody must take responsibility. We will no longer fold our hands and allow the projects we have awarded and even reviewed to continue to linger,” he said.
The Minister highlighted the President’s commitment to alleviating the suffering of Nigerians due to poor road conditions, expressing that the government will not tolerate delays in completing vital infrastructure projects.
“Nigerians are suffering on these roads, and President Bola Tinubu is doing everything possible, giving the road sector special attention. It would be a failure on our part to allow contractors to delay these projects while ignoring the people’s suffering,” he stressed.
Calling for greater dedication from all parties involved, including funding partners, the Minister urged Nigerians to remain patient, emphasizing the importance of partnership and patriotism in supporting the President’s vision for national development.
“We must all play our part to support the President’s divine vision to retake our country,” the Minister urged.
The Minister cited several ongoing projects under the Tax Credit Scheme that have experienced delays due to outdated pricing structures.
The affected projects are under review to expedite their completion, he said, listing Dangote Group, BUA Group, Mainstream Energy Solutions as well as MTN Nigeria as the entities involved in the tax credit scheme with various projects across the country.
Dangote – the 35 km Apapa-Owonronshoki Expressway in Lagos State, the 38 km section of Abuja-Kaduna-Kano road dualization, the 49.577km Dikwa-Gamboru-Ngala road, Borno State, the construction of Nnamdi Azikiwe road (western bypass) in Kaduna State, the 49.153 km Bama – Banki road in Borno State, the reconstruction of 105km Obelle-Ilaro-Papalanto-Shagamu Road dualization, the reconstruction of 54.239km Deep Seaport in Lagos State, the 65.5 km Afikpo-Okigwe road in Ebonyi and Imo States being procured and the 53.7km of side lanes for the Lekki Deep Seaport in Lagos State being procured;
BUA – the 20 km of roads in each of the three sections of Lokoja – Benin Highway, the 17.6km section of Abuja-Kaduna-Kano road( more 3 km to be included at the Kano axis), the 132.5km Kano-Kongollam in Kano, Jigawa, and Kastina States, the 130km Bode Sadu – Kaiama road, 42km Eyenkorin-Offa road, the 73km Lafiaji-Bacita road and the 37km Okuta-Kenu road all in Kwara State;
Mainstream – the 76.586km Malando – Ngasike – Wara road in Kebbi State, the 45.13km Sabon Gari – Yuni – Auna Road In Magami LGA of Niger State and the asphalt overlay of Mokwa-Nasarawa road in Niger State.
MTN – the dualization of 107km Enugu- Onitsha road.
To address the flood damage in Bauchi State, the Minister directed a technical team from the Ministry of Works to assess the damage and propose an emergency solution to restore access and alleviate the hardships faced by the affected communities.
“It’s unfortunate that when a job is completed by contractors, we don’t even enjoy the road for five years before we’re back to square one. This is why I’ve been advocating against the one-year liability period; poorly executed jobs can last a year, but not five,” he said.
He also directed Mothercart Ltd, the original contractor for the damaged section, to join the assessment team and determine why the road failed.
The Minister commended efforts of Dangote Plc on the Apapa-Oworonshoki Expressway, the Lekki-Deep Seaport road, and the Nnamdi Azikiwe road in Kaduna while also praising BUA for their work on the Lokoja-Benin Highway at Ekpoma,
While urging Mainstream Energy Solutions to accelerate their efforts on their respective projects, as the government pushes for the swift completion of the critical infrastructure projects, Umahi assured that the government remains committed to ensuring that Nigerians see tangible benefits from the investments, ensuring that the nation’s roads are safe, reliable, to contribute to the country’s economic growth.
[TheNation]