Minister of Works, David Umahi, yesterday maintained that the N2.13 trillion legacy road project debts inherited by the Bola Tinubu administration owed to local contractors must be vetted and verified before payment will commence.

Umahi spoke in Abuja during a meeting with federal government contractors, stressing that apart from strict supervision, commitment was one of the most consequential challenges confronting the country.

“We must verify everything, because from 2023 to date, the total inherited debt is about N2.13 trillion, and we must be sure of the correctness,” the minister explained.

Umahi added that this will involve the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the Budget Office, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Works as well as the Auditor-General’s Office.

“I cannot take responsibility for what I was not part of, but it does not relieve us of the responsibility of owning the debts,” he emphasised.

The minister warned contractors handling federal road projects against closing construction sites without approval, unveiling wide-ranging reforms aimed at improving delivery, supervision and transparency in road infrastructure.

He stressed that no contractor has the right to suspend work arbitrarily, noting that the Abuja–Lokoja, and key routes linking states should be exempted. But he commended contractors for embracing the federal government’s policy shift from asphalt to concrete road technology, and described the transition as a bold but necessary step.

“For you to close sites, they must be approved by the federal ministry. That is what the contract says. That’s what the procedure says. You don’t just close and open. We need to know if you want to close. There are some of the sites that must not close…We were totally embarrassed on the Abuja-Lokoja,” he stated.

The minister was speaking against the backdrop of recent massive traffic build-up, especially on the very busy Abuja-Lokoja expressway, which links several parts of the country.

The minister disclosed that all inherited NNPC road projects would continue, but funding responsibility had been transferred to the Ministry of Works by a directive of President Bola Tinubu.

“The President has directed that all inherited NNPC projects must continue, but they will now be paid for by the Ministry of Works,” Umahi said.

He explained that projects would be re-scoped into manageable sections that contractors could complete within nine months, warning that unused advance payments would be recovered.

“We cannot leave advance payments hanging forever. If they are not utilised, we will recover them through the banks,” he added.

Umahi announced a major reorganisation of the ministry to strengthen supervision, revealing that directors and senior engineers would be deployed to project sites nationwide.

“The greatest problem we have is lack of supervision and commitment. Everybody is going to the field. We will judge staff strictly by the output of the projects they supervise,” he said.

He also introduced a digital monitoring system, under which contractors and supervisors would upload project evaluations online. “Every evaluation to certification must be completed within 48 hours. That is the new order,” he said.

On payments, the minister assured contractors that outstanding certified claims were being addressed, disclosing that over N263 billion approved by the president was already undergoing processing.

He stressed that emergency road interventions would continue even when not captured in budgets. “When a road or bridge is cut, we cannot be asking for procedures while lives are at risk. Our priority is to save lives and keep roads motorable,” he said.

Also speaking, Minister of State for Works, Bello Goronyo, said the ministry was entering “a new dawn” driven by accountability and performance.

“Nigerians are tired of excuses. What they want to see are roads and bridges that work,” Goronyo said. (THISDAY)

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