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.
Minister of Works, David Umahi, announced that the termination was due to the expiration of the contract’s timeframe. He emphasized the government’s commitment to ensuring that long-standing infrastructure projects meet their intended deadlines and provide value for money.
Additionally, the government assured Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed of immediate intervention to repair a flood-damaged section of the Kano-Maiduguri federal road within the state. Recent heavy downpours have severed the road, leaving the local Malori-Guskuri community in Katagun Local Government Area cut off and severely impacting their livelihoods.
During a performance review meeting on road projects under the Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Scheme held over the weekend in Abuja, Umahi discussed the government’s plan to revisit and revise the liability period for all federal projects to ensure durability and optimal value for public funds. The meeting included representatives from Dangote Group of Companies, BUA Group of Companies, and Mainstream Energy Solutions Ltd.
In a statement issued yesterday by the Minister’s Special Adviser on Media, Uchenna Orji, Umahi underscored the importance of accelerating the completion of critical infrastructure projects, particularly those funded under the Tax Credit Scheme, which includes major roadways essential to the nation’s economy.
“Moving forward, there will be a clear agreement on milestone completion timelines for ongoing projects under the Tax Credit Scheme. As the Minister of Works, I believe that everyone must take responsibility. We will no longer stand by and allow awarded and reviewed projects to linger,” he stated.
The Minister also highlighted the President’s commitment to alleviating the suffering of Nigerians caused by poor road conditions, asserting that the government will not tolerate delays in completing vital infrastructure projects.
“Nigerians are suffering on these roads, and President Bola Tinubu is doing everything possible to give 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.
