The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has directed federal road contractors to halt the closure of project sites without authorisation.

Umahi insisted that strategic highways and bridges must remain operational during the holiday season and afterwards.

He also directed directors in the Federal Ministry of Works and Federal Controllers of Works across the country to suspend their holiday plans and remain on site to ensure that ongoing road projects do not obstruct the free flow of traffic during the festive period.

Umahi issued the directive at an emergency meeting with directors and contractors of the Federal Ministry of Works on Tuesday in Abuja, where he accused some contractors of abandoning sites under the guise of holidays despite worsening road conditions across the country.

According to him, road projects such as the Abuja–Lokoja Expressway, the Abuja drainage canals, and key corridors in Sokoto, Katsina and Kebbi states must not be closed under any circumstances due to their strategic importance.

“No contractor is permitted to close a site without the approval of the Federal Ministry of Works. Some sites must not close at all. Abuja–Lokoja cannot close.

“Some corridors are simply too critical. We would like some of our contractors who may be taking holidays to understand what is going on at their sites. Don’t close the roads. Open them for vehicular movements,” Umahi said.

The minister admitted that recent disruptions on the Abuja–Lokoja highway embarrassed the government but appealed for patience, noting that emergency interventions were ongoing to restore traffic flow.

Describing the traffic gridlock on the Abuja–Lokoja Road as “very embarrassing,” the minister ordered that the road be further opened up to ease vehicular movement, particularly ahead of the Christmas season.

The minister also expressed concern over persistent congestion on the Enugu–Onitsha Road.

He stressed the need for urgent and coordinated action by contractors and supervising officials to eliminate bottlenecks and ensure smooth traffic flow on all major federal highways nationwide.

Umahi also commended contractors for embracing President Bola Tinubu’s policy shift from asphalt to concrete road technology, describing it as a difficult but necessary transition to improve durability and reduce recurrent failures.

“I commend you for agreeing to adapt to the new policy of Mr President on concrete road technology. Many of you even requested that your projects be changed from asphalt to concrete. That is not easy, but it is necessary,” he said.

He argued that asphalt roads often deteriorate within 10 to 15 years due to drainage failures and poor soil conditions, while concrete roads offer longer life spans if properly constructed.

Beyond construction methods, the minister announced a sweeping reorganisation of the Ministry of Works, revealing that directors and senior engineers would be redeployed to the field to supervise projects directly.

“Everybody is going to the field. Only the Permanent Secretary and I will remain in the office. Every director will supervise a major project and performance will be judged strictly by output,” Umahi declared.

He added that poor supervision had become one of the biggest challenges in the delivery of federal infrastructure and vowed to end what he described as “office-based engineering.”

Umahi also warned contractors handling inherited projects originally awarded under the Niger Delta Development Commission and other agencies that payment responsibilities had now shifted fully to the Ministry of Works, following a presidential directive.

“All inherited NDDC and related projects will continue, but those agencies will no longer pay you. The Ministry of Works will take over payment, and contracts will be re-scoped to what can realistically be delivered within nine months,” he said.

He cautioned that advance payments would be recovered through banks if contractors failed to mobilise to the site, stressing that financial indiscipline would no longer be tolerated.

The minister further disclosed that Tinubu had approved the payment of outstanding certified liabilities estimated at N263bn, directing the relevant agencies to work with the Federal Inland Revenue Service to fast-track disbursement.

However, he said all claims would undergo fresh verification, noting that total outstanding certificates since 2020 stood at about N2.1tn and required reconciliation to eliminate inflated or unsupported claims.

Umahi also announced plans to digitalise project monitoring, including the creation of zonal project portals where contractors would upload site updates, valuations and certifications in real time.

He said the new system would ensure that project evaluations and certifications were completed within 48 hours, improve transparency and reduce delays associated with manual processes.

On maintenance, the minister ordered immediate pothole repairs nationwide, warning that no road controller or engineer would be allowed to “go on holiday” while critical routes deteriorated.

“Nigerians are tired of excuses. We will no longer commission solar lights; we will commission roads and bridges that last,” he said.

Nigeria’s federal road network has deteriorated significantly due to years of underfunding, poor maintenance and delayed project execution, with major corridors such as Abuja–Lokoja repeatedly disrupted by flooding and pavement failure.

Since assuming office, Tinubu has prioritised road infrastructure as part of his economic recovery agenda, directing the Ministry of Works to adopt cost-efficient technologies, complete inherited projects and tighten contractor oversight. (The PUNCH)