Umahi withdrew the contract of the Chinese company handling the Abuja-Keffi road due to poor performance

The Minister of Public Works, David Umahi, has ordered the immediate withdrawal of the contract awarded to China Harbor Engineering Company Limited for the reconstruction of the Abuja-bound traffic lane of the ongoing Mararaba–Keffi road project due to poor performance by the company.

Umahi who gave the order during an unscheduled inspection of the project on Saturday, expressed his displeasure over the project, citing poor performance and ignoring directions given to contractors by the federal government.

The minister particularly disliked what he described as shoddy and slow work by Chinese companies in implementing the 43.65-kilometre dual carriageway, and mandated that the work be handled by local contractors to ensure speed and quality of delivery.

“I am disappointed with the traffic route to Abuja. This project was not taken from China Harbor, but the company’s attitude is not cooperative,” said Umahi.

“Some of the contractors working on Federal roads are not partners with the government, they are only interested in money. It took some intervention for China Harbor to maintain the other traffic lanes they are not working on,” he complained.

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Umahi stressed that the ministry has now directed that as a policy, every project site must ensure that the entire stretch of the route is free of potholes or other defects, noting that it only requires commitment and a sense of responsibility to apply stone foundations in the area before construction continues.

“This is unacceptable. You cannot carry out asphalting without completing the road shoulder because such negligence leads to road failure. China Harbor must not force me to declare them enemies of the Ministry of Public Works.

“We cannot allow roads to be cut in half and contractors to do nothing. Any bureaucracy that is causing people’s suffering must be destroyed.

Therefore, the second traffic lane to Abuja is hereby withdrawn from China Harbour. Starting tomorrow, local contractors will be deployed to handle the inner and outer shoulders using concrete.

“You cannot continue to ignore directions. The welfare and safety of road users is more important than anyone’s profits. I have visited this location more than five times, repeatedly given instructions, but they were ignored. That will not be tolerated any longer,” said Umahi.