Nigeria’s Minister of Works, David Umahi, has issued a 14-day termination notice to the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, the contractors who are in charge of constructing the Abia section of the Enugu-Port Harcourt Highway.
Umahi, who revealed the cause for the termination of contract in a statement on Sunday, had expressed disappointment in the contractors after he had gone to the site to inspect the ongoing work and found that the contractors had failed to return to site to perform their duties.
The statement, which was released by Umahi’s Special Adviser on Media, Orji Uchenna Orji, read, “The Honourable Minister, who was in the company of the Acting Controller of Rivers and Abia States, has therefore directed the Acting Controller of Rivers State to follow due process and issue a 14-day Termination Notice to the contractor. It is his further directive that the failure of the contractor to mobilize adequately to the site within the period of the 14 days Notice, the contract shall be terminated.
“The Honourable Minister also observed that part of the reason for the escalation of contract cost of the road projects is the delay of project execution by the contractors. Some contractors have formed the habit of staying on projects for years and then requesting for augmentation on their projects, which will not allow the projects to be completed because of the paucity of funds.
“The Honourable Minister of Works will, going forward, follow due process to terminate all non-performing contracts nationwide. Contractors are therefore warned to change their tactics and know that the Federal Government means business in her determination to alleviate the problems of Nigerians as occasioned by bad roads.”
Ozioma Samuel-Ugwuezi
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