By SUNDAY ABBA, Abuja
The Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) at the weekend threatened to drag the contractor handling the Suleja-Minna road, Salini Nigeria Ltd, before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over prolonged neglect of the contract.
This is as it announced the revocation of the road contract.
Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi who inspected the road in the company of Minister of State for Works, Bello Goronyo; Chairman of the Senate Committee on Works, Senator Onyekachi Nwaebonyi; and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Segun Showunmi, among others, directed the immediate commencement of emergency reconstruction on critical sections of the road.
According to the minister, efforts to get the original contractors, Salini Nigeria Ltd to repair the severely damaged road over the past 18 months were unsuccessful.
He said: “I have gone through this road twice and I agreed that the road is in a very terrible situation and between here and Minna is over seven hours. It shouldn’t be.
“That is wickedness because our people cannot continue to suffer like this. Today, Salini is still owing us, and I have directed my ministry to scoop out the section of the road they owe and do it.
“The project has been irrevocably terminated, and Nigerians will see why we terminated it. If they (Salini) do not do what we have directed them to do, what they are owing us under our supervision, we are all going to the EFCC to take it over”.
The Minister continued: “We have been on this for a year and a half, urging the contractors to return to the site. Section 1 of the road, starting from the Abuja-Kano highway, is in a terrible state with tankers and trucks frequently breaking down, leading to fatal accidents.
“After inspecting the contractor’s capacity and observing the absence of necessary equipment, the Ministry decided to terminate the contract,” he said.
He added that the two worst-hit sections have now been declared emergency projects and will be handled under emergency procurement procedures.
“We’re documenting the current condition of the road for public accountability. Once work is completed, people tend to forget how bad it was. The Information Department must keep a visual record to justify our emergency action,” he said