Niger State Governor Mohammed Umar Bago has called on the Federal Government to revoke the contract for the Suleja-Minna project over the alleged lack of capacity by the Contractor, Salini Nigeria Limited in the state.
Bago made the call at a Town Hall Meeting on the construction of the 125KM:3- Lanes Single Carriage (Niger State Component) of the 1,068KM Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway in Minna.
The Governor explained that his decision to call for a revocation stems from concerns about Salini’s capacity to execute the road project effectively having failed to deliver on it for over 14 years.
” I will look at this in the face and say, Salini has failed, they don’t have the capacity. We are calling on the Minister to revoke the contract given to the company. Just like the way the Abuja-Kano road was revoked from Julius Berger recently,” he insisted.
He also called on the federal government to refund funds invested by the Niger State Government in rehabilitating federal roads in the state.
” We have put our personal resources into the federal government roads project in Niger State and we are asking for a refund. We did it because we have the same aspirations and dreams with the federal government, ” the Governor stated
Earlier, the Minister of Works, Senator Engr. Nweze David Umahi, decried the poor state of federal roads in Niger State, saying “Many of the federal projects, dating back to 2010 have remained abandoned and incomplete by successive administrations”
Speaking on the Minna-Suleja road, he threatened to take decisive action against the Contractor handling the road project.
” The company cannot continue to collect money from the federal government for over 10 years without executing the project. I was initially told that work on Minna-Suleja Road has reached 86℅. However, when I travelled on the road to Minna, I noticed nothing had been done, yet the contractor keeps collecting money on it”
“The Bida-Lapai-Lambata Road is still at 64% completion despite awarding the contract over a decade ago. Presently, quality infrastructure and timely project completion are priorities for both state and federal stakeholders”
Umahi further highlighted the importance of the stakeholders meeting, which focused on constructing the 125-kilometer, three-lane, single-carriageway Niger State segment of the larger 1,068-kilometer Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway.
” The Sokoto-Badagry Super Highway is a federal road that will pass through several states, including Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Ogun, Oyo, and Lagos, with 125 kilometres of the highway to be constructed in Niger State, ” the Minister added.
Revoke Minna-Suleja road project, contractor’s lacks capacity – Gov Bago to FG