Yuletide: FG warns contractors against road closures

The federal government has warned contractors handling federal road projects against closing construction sites without approval. Recall that Nigerians travelling for the Christmas holiday faced long traffic along the Abuja-Lokoja highway due to blockage by protesting truck owners. But the situation was compounded by the closure of a section of the road by the contractors […]

The federal government has warned contractors handling federal road projects against closing construction sites without approval.

Recall that Nigerians travelling for the Christmas holiday faced long traffic along the Abuja-Lokoja highway due to blockage by protesting truck owners.

But the situation was compounded by the closure of a section of the road by the contractors rehabilitating the road.

The Minister of Works, David Umahi, during a press briefing on Tuesday, said no contractor had the right to suspend work arbitrarily.

Umahi said, “You don’t just close and open sites. No place will close without our permission. That is very important.”

He listed critical road corridors that must remain open, including Abuja–Lokoja, Abuja-Kaduna and key routes linking Sokoto, Zamfara and Katsina states.

Umahi commended contractors for embracing the federal government’s policy shift from asphalt to concrete road technology, describing the transition as a bold but necessary step.

The minister disclosed that all inherited Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) road projects would continue, but that funding responsibility had been transferred to the Ministry of Works by a directive of President Bola Tinubu.

He explained that projects would be re-scoped into manageable sections that contractors could complete within nine months, warning that unused advance payments would be recovered.

He further said, “We cannot leave advance payments hanging forever. If they are not utilised, we will recover them through the banks.”

Umahi announced a major reorganisation of the ministry to strengthen supervision, revealing that directors and senior engineers would be deployed to project sites nationwide.

On payments, the minister assured contractors that outstanding certified claims were being addressed, disclosing that over ₦263bn approved by the president was already undergoing processing.

He further said, “Be patient with us. The process is on, and you will be paid.”

He stressed that emergency road interventions would continue even when not captured in budgets.

On his part, the Minister of State for Works, Bello Goronyo, said the ministry was entering “a new dawn” driven by accountability and performance.

He said, “Nigerians are tired of excuses. What they want to see are roads and bridges that work,” adding that visible impact would define the success of the administration.