The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has issued a 72-hour ultimatum to contractors handling sections of the Abuja-Lokoja highway rehabilitation project to fully mobilise to site or face sanctions, including possible prosecution by anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies.

Umahi gave the directive on Tuesday during a joint inspection of the project with members of the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Works.

The minister warned that contractors who had received government funds but failed to execute projects according to agreed timelines would no longer be tolerated, stressing that they must immediately deploy resources to the road project.

He said President Bola Tinubu had approved funds for the rehabilitation and directed contractors to utilise the resources for the intended purpose or risk action from relevant authorities.

Umahi expressed dissatisfaction with the performance of GELD Construction Limited, noting that only 8.2 kilometres of continuously reinforced concrete pavement had been completed on a 28-kilometre section despite the contractor spending several years on the project.

According to him, the contract originally covered 49.28 kilometres before it was scaled down to 28 kilometres due to funding constraints.

The minister directed officials of the Federal Ministry of Works to identify the most critical sections of the highway for immediate intervention, insisting that road users should not continue to endure hardship caused by prolonged project delays.

He also cautioned ministry officials against poor project supervision, warning that engineers and project managers who fail to effectively monitor contractors could be removed from their positions.

Umahi lamented the difficulties faced by commuters on the highway and criticised contractors for actions that unnecessarily obstruct traffic flow during construction activities.

While acknowledging that delayed payments had created challenges for contractors, he appealed to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to speed up the release of funds for projects being financed under the tax credit arrangement with the Federal Government.

The minister reiterated the Tinubu administration’s commitment to completing key road infrastructure projects nationwide and warned that contractors unwilling or unable to continue work after receiving public funds could be replaced.

Speaking during the inspection, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Works, Akin Alabi, supported the minister’s position, stressing the need for accountability among contractors, supervising engineers and funding agencies.

Alabi said observations from the inspection suggested that reports submitted to the ministry did not fully reflect the realities on the ground.

Similarly, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Works, Onyekachi Nwaebonyi, urged ministry officials to carry out their responsibilities diligently while calling for prompt payment for completed projects.

The Abuja-Lokoja highway serves as a major transport corridor linking the Federal Capital Territory with parts of the North-Central, South-East and South-South regions. The road has long attracted complaints from motorists over its deteriorating condition, frequent accidents and persistent traffic congestion.