Abuja–Lokoja Road: Tinubu’s Aide Faults Slow Progress, Urges Contractors to Step Up

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The Senior Special Assistant on Community Engagement, North-central, Abiodun Essiet, has described the pace of work on the Abuja-Lokoja highway as unsatisfactory, urging contractors to urgently improve performance.

Essiet spoke yesterday during an inspection of ongoing federal road projects in Kogi State, where she expressed disappointment over the level of progress recorded on key sections of the corridor.

She recalled that the Minister of Works, David Umahi, had last year terminated four road contracts in the state due to poor performance, directing contractors to expand deployment across project sites. Months after the directive, she said, there had been little evidence of compliance.

According to her, two of the contractors inspected failed to meet agreed timelines and showed no clear signs of mobilising additional equipment. Project managers at the sites reportedly admitted that they were behind schedule.

Essiet said the slow pace of work was unacceptable, noting that only a few months remained for delivery. She called on the Ministry of Works to ensure stricter supervision and enforcement to guarantee timely completion.

“This is a very busy road and expectations are high. Nigerians are looking forward to tangible results, and contractors must intensify efforts by deploying more equipment and collaborating where necessary to complete this project on time,” she said.

Speaking on the dualisation of the Lokoja–Benin Road handled by CGC Nigeria Ltd, the project engineer, Abubakar Yaba, attributed the slow progress to funding challenges. He said the project had reached about 38 per cent completion despite a time lapse of roughly 90 per cent.

Yaba disclosed that while about N59 billion had been certified for the project, only about N54 billion had been paid, leaving an outstanding balance of over N4 billion. He added that the absence of budgetary provision for the project in 2025 and delays in outstanding payments were major constraints.

Essiet, however, rejected the funding explanation, insisting that contractors were awarded projects based on proven financial capacity. She said assurances had been given that the Renewed Hope intervention funds would be used to meet obligations.

“If financial capacity was lacking, the contract would not have been awarded. The commitment of the President and the Minister of Works is clear. Contractors must demonstrate capacity and deliver,” she said.

She urged contractors to explore all lawful funding options to keep work moving, stressing that the road is critical to easing movement and boosting economic activities in the region.

Also speaking, the Controller of Works in Kogi State, Patiko Musa, said issues raised by contractors had been forwarded to the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja. He assured that requests relating to extensions and outstanding payments were being processed and would be addressed in due course.

At the commissioning of a special intervention project to address flood-related washouts along the Itobe–Ayingba axis, Musa said the 1.6-kilometre embankment rehabilitation at Utolu in Baruvi was completed at a cost of N972 million. He explained that the project was part of 260 emergency road interventions approved nationwide to fix critically failed sections inherited by the administration.

Representing the President at the ceremony, Senior Special Assistant on Community Engagement, Abiodun Essiet formally commissioned the project, describing it as evidence of the federal government’s commitment to restoring key road infrastructure.

Community leaders and professional bodies, including representatives of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), commended the intervention, noting improved safety and reduced accidents since the completion of the works.