Umahi Orders Arrest Of Contractor Over Abandoned ₦14bn Benin-Onitsha Road Project

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Minister of Works, David Umahi, has ordered the arrest of the Managing Director of Hartland Nigeria Limited over the contractor’s failure to complete an 11-kilometre section of the Benin-Onitsha Expressway despite receiving about ₦14 billion from the Federal Government.

Umahi issued the directive on Friday during an inspection of the troubled section of the expressway.

The minister expressed dissatisfaction with the condition of the road and the level of work carried out by the contractor. He said the Federal Government had reached an agreement with Hartland to use the funds already released to complete the 11-kilometre stretch from Summit Junction to a bridge, alongside channelisation and hydraulic works.

However, according to Umahi, the contractor had completed only about 40 per cent of the agreed work.

He directed the ministry’s controller to locate and arrest the company’s managing director. He also ordered officials to obtain records of payments and certificates relating to projects executed by Hartland.

Umahi said the government had released up to ₦14 billion to the contractor under the agreement, yet the company had failed to deliver the expected work.

The minister warned that the Federal Government would take steps to recover the money if Hartland failed to meet its contractual obligations.

He instructed relevant ministry directors to contact the banks involved and initiate the process of recovering the funds. He also ordered a comprehensive review of the contractor’s certificates and payment records.

Describing the situation as unacceptable, Umahi said contractors must ensure that roads under construction do not deteriorate to the point where motorists are subjected to unnecessary hardship.

He further directed officials to inspect the two bridges within the affected section and assess about one kilometre of the road to determine immediate measures for easing traffic congestion.

According to the minister, the worsening condition of the expressway could have been prevented through minor interventions, including the use of stone base to fill severely damaged portions.

Umahi stressed that contractors have a responsibility to take reasonable steps to keep roads passable, whether or not further payments have been made.

He said the ministry would not tolerate situations where relatively minor repairs are allowed to worsen and increase the suffering of motorists.

The minister also ordered the immediate arrest of anyone found carrying out unauthorised dredging activities along roads under the supervision of the Ministry of Works.

He directed officials to ensure that contractors whose road sections become impassable are held accountable, insisting that such negligence would no longer be tolerated.