The Federal Government has expressed dissatisfaction with the pace of construction work on the Lokoja–Abuja highway.
The government warned contractors handling sections of the critical corridor to urgently improve performance or risk sanctions.
The Presidency’s Senior Special Assistant on Community Engagement, North Central, Abiodun Essiet, gave the warning during an inspection tour of ongoing federal road projects in Kogi State, where she described progress on key sections of the highway as far below expectations.
In a statement issued by the Ministry of Works on Tuesday, Essiet said she was disappointed by the level of work done months after contractors were directed to scale up deployment and accelerate construction.
She recalled that the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, had terminated four road contracts in Kogi State due to poor performance, warning that similar actions could be taken if contractors failed to meet agreed timelines.
According to her, two of the contractors inspected during the visit were clearly behind schedule and had not mobilised additional equipment as earlier instructed. Project managers at the sites reportedly admitted that they were lagging and struggling to meet milestones.
Essiet described the situation as unacceptable, noting that only a few months remained for the delivery of the projects. She urged the Ministry of Works to strengthen supervision and enforcement to ensure timely completion.
(Punch)
