By Daniel Tyokua
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has terminated the N35 billion contract with Levant Construction Ltd for reconstruction of the Benin-Sapele-Warri Road (Section 1: Benin–Imasabor) in the South – South region.
Umahi gave the order after a meeting with the Chief Executives of GELD Construction Ltd and SKECC Nigeria Ltd following delays in the execution of the project.
He decried Messrs Levant’s failure to meet expectations of the work, executed under the Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Scheme, was terminated due to non-performance.
In a statement by Umahi’s Special Adviser on Media, Orji Orji, said “We have three sections there. We have the Levant section. Unfortunately, Levant has not lived up to expectations. We even had to intervene and beg the Governor of Edo State to please get the worst sections of that route done. We divided the worst sections into two and told Levant to concentrate on one part. While the Governor of Edo State intervened—which I think is about 23 kilometres for ₦35 billion—and that section is ongoing very well, Levant has since left the site. We gave them a series of warning letters.
“We also gave them the last termination notice. When a termination notice is given to you, it is for you to, within 14 days, go back to the site and begin to do those things you were not doing. This time is for them to remobilise to the site and work, but they did not respond,” he said.
He directed the Permanent Secretary to get the job properly terminated, write them a letter for joint measurement, and also write to their bank to request repayment of the APG—failing which the matter would be taken to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The Minister, however, expressed satisfaction with the outcome of discussions with SKECC Nigeria Ltd and GELD Construction Ltd on the need for them to step up work on the sections of the project being handled by them.
He commended the Governor of Delta State, Sheriff Oborevwori, and his Edo State counterpart, Monday Okpebholo, for their interventions on some kilometres of the road project.
“I have called the Governor of Delta State, and I commend him for the very beautiful work he’s doing—three flyovers at the same time, beautiful flyovers. In this country, we need such beauties. We have also learned from that design. So we appealed to him to get any contractor within that zone to put in 10 kilometres with reinforced concrete. He has accepted to do that. So I commend him very highly, which means that the Governor of Edo State is intervening in that section, and the Governor of Delta State is intervening in that section. We are grateful to them,” he said.
On the jobs by Messrs SKECC and GELD, Umahi stated, “SKECC has about one kilometre, which they started with milled asphalt. Yes, the money in the budget for SKECC within their section—NNPC allocation—is exhausted. But we are pleading with them to go back and remedy this one kilometre where they have milled the existing asphalt.”
For Messrs GELD, he said, “GELD has accepted to go back to their own section, and we’ve agreed to review their project to cater for the unforeseen circumstances they encountered. So they are going back to the site, and we’ve agreed to work very well with them. We’re happy about that. And the second job they have, which is the Lokoja-Abuja road, we’ve also agreed that they should go back to the site and review the project, because as of today, the asphalt cost is ₦9,000 per square meter, whereas asphalt is about ₦30,000 per square meter. So they are going back to the site on trust, and we’re going to do that.
“And then you get to the Itoki–Ikorodu road, which is 34 kilometres. We’ve agreed with them on all the issues. They are going back to the site, and I thank Mr. President for his interest in all the projects in the federation,” he added.
