The Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, has issued a firm warning to GELD Construction Ltd., the contractor in charge of the Ikorodu-Itoki Road project, cautioning that the contract may be revoked if ministry directives continue to be ignored.
Umahi gave the warning on Sunday, the 12th of January, 2016, during an on-site inspection of the project, expressing strong dissatisfaction with both the pace and approach of the work. He criticised the contractor for dwelling on perceived obstacles rather than cooperating with the government to achieve tangible progress.
“I am deeply disappointed. Instead of working with us to do what is achievable at this stage, they are preoccupied with what they claim cannot be done,” Umahi said.
He further questioned the contractor’s commitment: “How long do they intend to remain on this project? That phase is over. The supervising engineer risks losing his job if work does not commence immediately.”
The minister stressed that the supervising engineer is responsible for formally reporting any disobedience by the contractor. Failure to comply, Umahi warned, could result in the contractor’s arrest and termination of the contract.
To ease traffic disruptions along the corridor, Umahi directed that excavation work be conducted at night. He explained that the eight-metre-wide road would be built in sections, with night-time excavation immediately followed by backfilling using a stone base mixed with cement to maintain smooth traffic flow.
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“This approach will give the road a concrete-like finish and allow traffic to move seamlessly while construction continues section by section,” the minister said.
He added that the ministry plans to begin work on the first five kilometres by milling the existing surface and reusing the material to construct road shoulders. Recognising certain limitations, Umahi noted that some stretches of the road cannot accommodate shoulders and would be skipped.
Night-time operations will involve milling the full eight-metre width, followed by 60 millimetres of binder and 40 millimetres of wearing course to guarantee durability and safety.
Umahi concluded by emphasising that the ministry would no longer tolerate delays and pledged decisive action if the contractor fails to adhere to the instructions.