The Arewa Youth Assembly (AYA) has petitioned President Bola Tinubu to terminate the contract on the Kaduna-Abuja highway, while urging the Minister of Works, David Umahi, to resign over alleged poor handling of the project.

In a letter by its Speaker, Muhammed Salihu Danlami to the Minister, the group stated: “We register our profound concern and growing frustration regarding the manner in which the Kaduna–Abuja expressway project is being executed under your leadership,” pointing out that “this road, of immense national importance, linking 12 northern states to the Federal Capital Territory and southern part of the country, has continued to deteriorate, with ongoing contract moving at snail pace 11 months after you announced the award of the contract for the completion of the road, to Infioquest International Limited after its revocation from Julius Berger.”

According to Danlami, “seven months, during the inauguration of the contract, you told Nigerians and the road users that the contract was awarded at the sum of N500 billion, and that 30 per cent of this fund had been approved and paid to the contractor, meaning, the contractor had pocketed at least N150 billion.” (The Guardian)