The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has ordered contractors handling Federal Government road projects to remain on site and warned against abandoning ongoing projects.
The Controller of Works in Ondo State, Olajide Hussein, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Akure.
Hussein said Umahi issued the directive during a recent meeting, stressing that no contractor handling a federal road project was permitted to leave the site.
He said the directive applied to all contractors without exception.
Speaking on the Akure-Ado-Ekiti road project, Hussein assured motorists and residents that the contractor handling the outstanding section would soon return to the site.
He also disclosed that the Federal Government had reviewed the construction method for the remaining section, opting for concrete pavement instead of asphalt.
“The Honorable Minister of Works has directed that no contractor should leave their project sites. The Akure to Ado-Ekiti contractors are no exception, and we expect them to return to the site immediately.
“You know the Federal Government has re-awarded the other section to be on concrete instead of asphalt for the first section. So any moment now, the contractor will resume work on site,” he said.
Hussein said the contractor would have about 12 months to complete the second carriageway once construction resumes.
He added that Umahi’s directive would ensure that contractors returned to their sites and accelerated work on outstanding projects across the country.
According to him, the revised construction method for the Akure-Ado-Ekiti road is also expected to support faster completion of the project.
NAN reports that the project was flagged off in May 2023, following the Federal Executive Council’s approval for the re-award of the 50-kilometer dualization project.
The Akure-Ondo State boundary section was awarded to Samchase Nigeria Ltd. and Horizon Construction Company Ltd., with a 24-month completion period.
Kopek Construction Ltd. secured the Ekiti boundary-Ado-Ekiti section, with a 30-month completion timeline.
Hussein, however, said the remaining carriageway could be completed within about 12 months if work proceeds at the expected pace.
