The Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, has issued a stern warning to the contractor handling the Ikorodu-Itoki Road project, threatening to revoke the contract if directives from the ministry continue to be ignored.
Umahi delivered the warning on Sunday during an on-the-spot assessment of the project being executed by GELD Construction Ltd., where he expressed strong dissatisfaction with the pace and attitude of work on the site.
The minister accused the contractor of focusing more on perceived difficulties rather than collaborating with the government to achieve measurable progress.
“I am deeply disappointed. Instead of working with us to do what is achievable at this stage, they are preoccupied with what they claim cannot be done,” Umahi said.
“How long do they intend to remain on this project? That phase is over. The supervising engineer risks losing his job if work does not commence immediately,” he added.
Umahi stressed that the supervising engineer has a duty to formally report any act of disobedience by the contractor, warning that failure to comply could lead to the arrest of the contractor and termination of the contract.
To address traffic challenges along the corridor, the minister ordered that excavation work be carried out at night to minimise disruption to motorists.
He explained that the eight-metre-wide roadway should be handled in sections, with night-time excavation followed by immediate backfilling using stone base mixed with cement to ensure smooth traffic flow.
“This approach will give the road a concrete-like finish and allow traffic to move seamlessly while construction continues section by section,” Umahi said.
He added that the ministry plans to commence work on the first five kilometres by milling the existing surface and reusing the material to construct the road shoulders.
Acknowledging existing limitations, the minister noted that some sections of the road cannot accommodate shoulders and would be skipped.
According to him, night-time operations will involve milling the eight-metre width, followed by the application of 60 millimetres of binder and 40 millimetres of wearing course to ensure durability and safety.
Umahi maintained that the ministry would no longer tolerate delays and warned that decisive action would be taken if the contractor fails to comply with the outlined directives.
Umahi threatens to arrest, terminate Ikorodu-Itoki Road contract over slow pace
Umahi threatens to arrest, terminate Ikorodu-Itoki Road contract over slow pace
