The Federal Government has officially terminated the contract for Section 1 of the Kano-Maiduguri Road project, which had been awarded to Dantata & Sawoe Ltd in 2007. The termination, according to the Minister of Works, David Umahi, was due to the expiration of the contract’s timeframe. Umahi emphasized the government’s commitment to ensuring that long-standing infrastructure projects meet their intended deadlines and deliver value for money.
Additionally, the government assured Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed of immediate intervention to repair a section of the Kano-Maiduguri federal road within the state that was damaged by recent flooding. The road was severed by floodwaters following a heavy downpour, leaving the 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, which was held over the weekend in Abuja with representatives from Dangote Group of Companies, BUA Group of Companies, and Mainstream Energy Solutions Ltd, Umahi revealed plans to revisit and revise the liability period for all federal projects. This revision aims to guarantee durability and optimal value for public funds.
In a statement issued yesterday by the Minister’s Special Adviser on Media, Uchenna Orji, Umahi emphasized 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.
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“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 also highlighted the President’s commitment to alleviating the suffering of Nigerians due to poor road conditions, stressing that the government will not tolerate delays in completing vital infrastructure projects.
“Nigerians are suffering on these roads, and President Bola Tinubu is 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.
