The federal government has announced plans to terminate the contracts of expatriate contractors involved in the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the Lokoja-Benin road due to delays and a lack of commitment to the project.
A statement from the Federal Ministry of Works on Sunday, quoted the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, speaking during a stakeholders’ engagement meeting held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state on Saturday.
He expressed deep concern over the attitude of some unpatriotic expatriate contractors and warned that any contractor who continues to neglect their responsibilities will face contract termination.
During his inspection of project sites along the Calabar-Itu road en route to Cross River state, Umahi was visibly troubled by the hardships faced by Nigerians due to the poor condition of the road.
He specifically called on Julius Berger to resume work on the project site immediately to avoid sanctions from the Ministry of Works.
“We are going to do everything to support local contractors. We are going to encourage them and build their capacity so that they can compete with the expatriate contractors. But more pains, no more gains,” Umahi stated.
The minister also expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his commitment to alleviating the suffering of Nigerians through massive infrastructural rehabilitation across the country.
