THE Federal Government has issued unambiguous directive to contractors handling legacy road projects across the country never to block vehicular access for more than 14 days under whatever circumstances .

Governement has also warned that no contractor has a liberty to act in whatever ways they deem fit in the handling on road projects just as it issued 72-hour ultimatum to GELD Construction Company to effectively utilise funds already released to demonstrate visible progress on the Abuja -Lokoja Expressway .

The minister of Works Engr David Umahi gave the directive while on an inspection tour of ongoing road and bridge projects in Kogi and Edo States also indicated staff of his ministry over failure to properly supervise projects assigned to them with commitment ,accusing them of pampering contractors and issuing certificates arbitrary while the public lambast President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and himself over ineptitude.

He expressed dissatisfaction that staff of the ministry of works have found themselves in a situation where they cannot defend projects assigned to them before the National Assembly and threatened to remove anyone found exhibiting such ineffectiveness going forward.

The Minister who expressed dissatisfaction with the pace of work on some sections of the Abuja-Lokoja dual carriageway and the dualisation of Obajana junction -Benin road asked contractors not to wait unnecessarily for Governement releases and called on the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to make payments to contractors handling projects whose funding comes from the oil giant

He said due to funding constraints the scope of one of the Sections of the Abuja-Lokoja road had to be reduced from 49.28 kilometres to 28 kilometres to concentrate available resources on the most critical portions.

“I am very sad with what I saw on the ground. What was reported to us is not reflected in the actual work being done.”

The Minister, however, commended Messrs JRB Construction Company for the quality and pace of work on its project, describing the company as a model of professionalism and commitment. According to him, “If everybody does his job accordingly, there will be no reason to shift the blame to Mr. President.”

Engr Umahi said substantial percentage of Nigeria’s Federal road network were in a terrible shape before the Tinubu administration came on board but that efforts are being made fix the decay.

The Minister also visited the reconstruction of the existing pavement and completion of the additional carriageway on Section III of the Abuja–Lokoja Dual Carriageway, including works being executed by Trucrete Solutions Limited on the Koton Karfe–Abuja alignment.

He also inspected two critical bridge projects along the same corridor, as well as the ongoing dualisation of the Lokoja–Benin Road. The projects inspected include Section I, Obajana Junction–Okene, and Section II covering the Okene–Auchi corridor across Kogi and Edo States.

He also assessed progress on the flyover and interchange components of the project being executed by CCG Contractors, with the flyovers at approximately 80 percent completion and the interchange at about 30 percent.