The Federal Government has declared a state of emergency for the construction of the Suleja-Minna road, which has been in a very poor condition.
During a visit to inspect the road on Saturday, the Minister of Works, David Umahi, explained that the project was initially given to a company called Salini Nigeria Limited.
Unfortunately, the work done was either poorly executed or left unfinished. Despite efforts to get Salini to fix the issues over the past 18 months, nothing has improved.
Umahi mentioned that the Governor of Niger State, Mohammed Bago, brought issue to President Bola Tinubu’s attention, resulting in the government deciding to intervene and take urgent action.
He described the current state of the road as “terrible,” explaining that instead of taking an hour and a half to travel, it now takes about seven hours. The unsafe conditions have led to accidents where vehicles have fallen off the road, tragically resulting in loss of life.
To address the situation, Umahi has classified two sections of the road as emergency projects. He assured that the government will clearly document the condition of the road and the failed contract so that the public is aware of the reasons for this emergency declaration.
Umahi emphasized that once a new contractor is selected, they must begin work immediately. If they delay even by a day, he stated he would cancel their contract because this is an urgent matter.
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He also noted that the Suleja-Minna road is a project inherited from the previous administration, but problems with contractors have persisted. Despite having been paid for their work, Salini did not deliver quality results. Umahi criticized those who still want Salini to continue, calling it “wickedness” since it only puts more strain on the people who rely on the road.
As of now, Salini still owes the government money, and Umahi has instructed his ministry to take measures to recover that amount. If necessary, they will involve the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to ensure the government gets back its funds.
Umahi stated that there is no turning back on this issue, as addressing it is crucial for the people of Nigeria. Currently, two new contractors are working on the road project. The Governor has started part of the project under a city improvement plan using a different company, CCCC International Engineering Nigeria Ltd., which has already made progress on around 60 kilometers of the road.
The road stretches about 103 kilometers in total (about 206 kilometers when considering both directions), and there are still around 146 kilometers left to complete. The minister mentioned that CCCC has been given just 10 days to start work on the most critical part of the road, covering a seven-kilometer stretch. This work will be treated as an emergency, meaning it will begin quickly while the pricing is sorted out with the Bureau of Public Procurement.