The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, said on Friday that he might stop the reconstruction of the Benin/Sapele and Ologbo Road, which is worth billions of naira, if the Levant Construction Company doesn't follow the project's plans and requirements.
The minister was not happy with the work and directed the ministry’s supervising engineers to send a warning letter to the contractors on Monday. If they still did not do the right work after 14 days, he would end the project himself.
Umahi, who was inspecting federal roads in Edo, stated that contractors in Nigeria were using politics and warned that he would not tolerate such behavior.
He mentioned, “On Monday, give them a warning letter to start permanent work and if they don’t start by Monday, give them a 14-day notice of termination. We paid a lot of money for this project and it’s clear that many contractors in Nigeria are just playing games with us, which we have repeatedly emphasized.
“We will provide a mobilization fee to a contractor but we will not accept price changes after we have paid, and that’s the issue with Levant. If they don’t comply within 14 days after the termination notice, I will personally end the project.
“You can’t do this kind of work in your own country, it can only happen in Africa. You can’t take our money and misbehave like this. It’s a huge disgrace, especially when people are suffering, and we should be applauding you. I have had over 10 meetings with them about this project. If something goes wrong, they will call the President,” he added.
The minister continued the inspection of the Benin, Ekpoma Auchi, and Abuja Expressway.
