The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Works, has issued a seven-day ultimatum to Julius Berger Nigeria, the contractor constructing the 35.7km Bodo-Bonny Road and Bridge projects in Rivers State.

The new ultimatum demands that the firm either resume work on the project within seven days or risk the termination of the contract.

This fresh ultimatum followed the construction firm’sfailure to meet up with the initial 14-day ultimatum handed down by the ministry in April.

The Minister of Works, David Umahi, made the offer on Tuesday during a meeting with contractors and the peace committee on the project from Bonny Kingdom in Abuja.

Umahi emphasised the government’s determination to see the project through to completion, sahin, “I am giving Berger seven days to go back to sight. If they don’t go back to the site after seven days, that project will be terminated.”

He noted that the directive came directly from President Bola Tinubu.

He stated, “Mr President has directed that the Ministry of Works should have this project completed by all means and not at all costs. By all means, it must be completed before the end of this year.”

Expressing frustration over the firm’s delays and reluctance to adhere to project timelines, Umahi emphasized the government’s commitment to holding contractors accountable.

He stated, “This Ministry of Works will not be dictated to by any contractor. We will not allow a contractor to dictate to us. If this marriage fails, I want to recount that we have been having a very troubling marriage with Berger since September 2023 and we’ve been virtually negotiating a lot of projects being done by Berger.

” Let me tell the Bonny Kingdom that we cannot isolate you more than we have isolated you because of how important you are just as every other section of this country is important because a chain is as strong as the weakest neck.

“We are having a problem with Berger in Lagos-Ibadan, in accepting our position in the second Niger bridge, in completion of Abuja-Kano, in Cross River. I have directed the Permanent Secretary that instead of that route to embarrass this administration again, he must effective from the 16^th of this month isolate 3kilometres within the Berger site and begin to dig it up to one metre, fill it with lumps, sharp sand and stone base.

“So, that our administration will not again be embarrassed. We were badly embarrassed last year under the nose of Berger while moving on site, trucks were falling down, the Senate was calling and the whole thing was on the internet. This is not acceptable for our people. A reputable company must put the interest of the country and the people first and in relationships you sometimes make a lot of gains and sometimes you have to flush back to the system in appreciation of the relationship.”

He added, “It is very wrong for a company to continue to insist on having its ways. This relationship must be determined today. Whether to be or not to be. I want us to know today that we had once given Berger seven days’ notice in line with the law and the contract agreement.”

He added that the failure of the firm to return to the site within seven days, the project would be awarded to another contractor.

“Engineering is engineering and nobody can intimidate us. This is very important and so the romance should end because Berger our contractor is more or less into politics going from one place to another meeting stakeholders and our people are suffering.

“Let me tell the Bonny Kingdom, if you don’t like my decision, I give you the opportunity to meet Mr President. He is my boss. If I give Berger beyond this, it will destroy the Ministry of Works,” he added.

In April, the Federal Government gave an additional N20.5bn to the contractor to complete the project or risk termination while it set December 2024 as the new deadline to complete the project.

The project whichh was awarded through a partnership agreement in 2017 between the ministry and Nigeria LNG Limited to Julius Berger at the cost of N120.6bn, was slated to be funded 50 per cent by Nigeria LNG Limited.

The 39 km long road Is the first road link between Bonny Island to the rest of Rivers State.

However, a force majeure declared by the company due to the dwindling exchange rate stalled the progress of the project even after the ministry ordered the company back to the site last year December.

The construction company had demanded an additional N28.8bn to construct the remaining section of the 39 km road which is 84 per cent completed. (The PUNCH)

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