The Federal Government has declared an emergency on the failed Suleja-Minna road after public outcry.
Minister Umahi blamed poor contractors and promised swift repairs to end delays and prevent deaths.
The Federal Government has officially declared a state of emergency on the Suleja-Minna road, following widespread complaints over its poor condition and the long delays it causes for motorists.
Minister of Works, David Umahi, announced the decision on Saturday while inspecting the road. He revealed that although the contract for the road had initially been awarded to Salini Nigeria Limited, the project had either stalled or been handled poorly. For over a year and a half, efforts to get the company to repair the road yielded no positive results.
Umahi said the situation had become so severe that the Governor of Niger State, Mohammed Bago, brought the matter directly to President Bola Tinubu, who immediately ordered the Ministry of Works to take decisive action.
“The road is in a very terrible situation, delaying travel time by seven hours instead of one and a half hours, and vehicles are falling and killing people,” Umahi said.
He added, “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.”
According to Umahi, the ministry will provide documentation detailing the road’s condition and the original contract terms. This, he said, would give Nigerians clarity on why the emergency declaration was necessary.
“When we go through due process and award the job, if the contractor waits for one day for mobilization, I will terminate it because it’s an emergency one,” he warned. “If you cannot trust us to start work immediately and then we will now process your mobilization, then you don’t want to be a partner in the new Nigeria that President Tinubu is developing.”
Umahi explained that the Suleja-Minna project was inherited from the previous administration, but the real challenge had always been with the contractors. He said the contractor had received funding and had done some work, but all of it eventually failed.
He criticized those still advocating for Salini to be retained on the project, calling it unfair to the Nigerian people.
“That is wickedness because our people will not continue to suffer like this. Contractors are engaged and paid, yet we don’t have value for money. Who will people call? They call the president. They call the minister. So, we have to put that to a stop. Regardless of who is at fault, we hold that person accountable and take action,” he said.
Umahi also noted that Salini still owes the ministry and announced steps to recover that debt.
“As at today, Salini is still owing us and I have directed my ministry to scoop out the section of the road equal to what they are owing us, so that they can do it,” he stated.
He added that the contract with Salini had been officially terminated because of their poor performance. If the company refuses to comply with the ministry’s current directive, Umahi said the ministry would involve the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to recover public funds.
“There is no going back. This fight is a fight for Nigerians and we have no regrets doing this,” he stressed.
In terms of ongoing work, Umahi said that two contractors are now handling different parts of the road. Governor Bago has already awarded a section as part of his urban renewal initiative, with CCCC International Engineering Nigeria Ltd currently on the job.
“The governor has asked us to allow the CCCC that has started part of the project to continue. The road is approximately 103 kilometers long and dualized (about 206 kilometers in total). The governor has done about 60 kilometers of the road. So we have about 146 kilometers left,” the minister explained.
Umahi said the ministry had instructed CCCC to mobilize within 10 days and begin work immediately on the most critical seven-kilometer section.
“This is emergency procurement. Work begins first, then pricing is verified by the Bureau of Public Procurement,” he concluded.
Why not declare emergency action of so many Nigeria roads? Lagos-Abeokuta express road has been in shambles all these while. So many roads across Nigeria are seriously in bad shape. A big disgrace to Nigeria Government.
Nigeria Minister of works, where are you?