• Directs NNPCL to offset N263b owed contractors
Minister of Works, Dave Umahi,has directed contractors working on Abuja-Lokoja, Lagos-Port Harcourt, Keffi-Makurdi, and Abuja-Kano expressways not to close their sites during the yuletide without the approval of his ministry.

The minister also directed the contractors to exit all previous agreements, including those involving Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) Tax Credit contracts inherited by the Federal Government, before they would be considered for payment.

Umahi also announced that the Federal Government had directed NNPCL to pay the sum of N263 billion to contractors, stressing that the volume of debt owed to contractors from 2023 to date stood at N2.13 trillion, and payment would only commence once the figures were clearly confirmed.

Addressing contractors in Abuja yesterday, the minister, after commending them for accommodating road projects that were not included in the budget, stressed the need to clear the roads during the Yuletide to ease movement, noting specifically that the Federal Government was embarrassed by the gridlock on the Abuja-Lokoja expressway.

Travellers spent nights on the ever-congested and busy Abuja-Lokoja expressway following a disruption caused by a standoff between truck drivers and military personnel over the weekend.

The development stranded thousands of travellers during the yuletide and made them helpless.

The minister said: “I want to make this clear to you, the contractors, that you will not close the sites without approval. These sites include the Abuja-Kano, Enugu-Onitsha, Sokoto-Zamfara, Abuja-Lokoja, and Lagos-Port Harcourt expressways, as well as other major roads, such as the Keffi-Makurdi route.

“I plead with you to free the roads, because we were thoroughly embarrassed by the Abuja-Lokoja road and we do not want a repeat of that situation.”

On the inherited NNPCL road projects, the minister said: “I want to announce to you that Mr President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has directed that all NNPCL projects must continue, and the NNPCL will not be the one to pay you again; the Ministryof Works will pay going forward. And I want to say that in 2026, all regional directors must be in the field. Every senior director will have a specific project to supervise, which means that you must all be digitalised. If you are not digitalised, the permanent secretary will write to the Head of Service to remove you.

“Our greatest problem is the lack of supervision, and as I said, there would be a director in each of the NNPCL projects from January 7, 2026.”

Promising that all contactors owed would be paid, the minister added that President Tinubu was not aware that they were not paid, adding, “N263 billion will be paid to you by the NNPCL as directed by the President,but you have to exit precious agreements before you receive the payment.

Each of you being owed should come with evidence because the total debt from 2023 to date is N2.13 trillion, and we need to confirm the figures.