Umahi Issues Mararaba–Keffi Expressway Contractor End of February Deadline To Deliver Project

...Orders Redeployment Of Controller of Works Over Misconduct

Nigeria’s Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has issued February 2026 ending deadline to China Harbour Engineering Company, the contractor handling the 43-kilometre section of the Mararaba–Keffi Expressway, to complete and deliver the project for commissioning even as ordered the immediate redeployment of the Controller of Works, overseeing the project,  Engr. Yakubu Usman, for misconducts. 

He announced a new policy of re-scoping, re-facing, and then funding on road construction.

The Minister who disclosed these on Friday during an inspection tour of the ongoing Mararaba–Keffi road expansion project, asked  the contractor to commit to the project by submitting a detailed work timetable and a written commitment to deliver the project at the stipulated time of end of February. 

"I am giving you end of February to hand over this job, end of February. So you have to see me in the office on Wednesday to give me your timetable and a commitment to hand over the job at the end of February. I directed you to remove the caps which were hand molded 

Now the problem is my staff and I'm going to set an example today with what 2026 will be between all of us in doing this job. The staff of the Minister of Works on site, they have all the powers because if a minister or minister representative comes to site and gives a directive and so if the contractor is not doing the directive, it is the duty of the staff to do two things. One, refuse certificate for the contractor. 

The number two, you will escalate that disobedience to Permanent Secretary, to the minister, to the head of department. The controller has not done that and for that, I am directing the Permanent Secretary to remove the controller effective from today.

"He will posted to my office to go and learn how to obey instructions and the Permanent  Secretary will post another controller immediately who will take over from him and who will learn to obey instructions. It is the same controller that issued certificates to a contractor on palliative work for work not done. Issued certificates and we paid.

Umahi also directed the company to immediately remove the hand-moulded caps along the road and begin concreting of the median, while ensuring the installation of solar-powered streetlights across the entire 43km stretch.

“We directed that these hand-moulded caps be removed. I have been here more than eight times. Now the problem is my staff, and today I will set an example of what 2026 will be like for all of us in doing this job.

"And so, I'm telling China to remove those caps immediately. That's number one. Number two, to immediately begin the concreting of the median. You have to fill it, compact it and concrete it with 10cm reinforcements. Number three, you need to put solar light throughout the 43km. 

"And the median, we have two lights, one left, one right, you know, that is one pole with two distance, 9m pole, galvanized. And then the shoulder, outer shoulder, we have 8m of, you know, solar light, all at 30m. Please, escalate action on concreting of the remaining shoulders and to complete the remaining three kilometers of your work.

"And please, and please, and please obey us. We gave you the jobs. You are doing a beautiful job, but disobeying us will not be good for us 2026 because we will match our words with action. The quality of the road we are seeing here is what Nigerians desire. And that is what Nigerians.," the minister said.

Umahi emphasized the power and authority of  the ministry officials on site to enforce directives given by the Minister or his representatives, stressing that failure by a contractor to comply with ministerial directives should attract denial of certificates or prompt escalation to the Permanent Secretary, Head of Department, or the Minister himself for action.

“Nobody will be spared. Discipline is our watchword. Diligence is our watchword. Doing the work we are paid to do is our watchword, when action is taken, no amount of pleading will reverse it. I report directly to Mr. President.

“I need your prayers. I will have many fights, but I am not afraid of any.”

On the new policy, he said;"We are no longer going to wait for full funding, If we have 200 km of road, we are not going to be waiting to have money to do the 200 km of road. We are embarking on a policy of re-scoping, re-facing, and then funding. So if we know that a contractor that has 100 km of road is going to do 30 km in one year, we are going to be focusing on that 30 km, while the other 70 km is being maintained for seamless travel.

"And so you'll be hearing from us in the sense that we have embarked on re-facing, re-scoping, and then within the limit of what we can call the budgetary provision, we put about 70% level of confidence on the availability of funds. So we are going to be completing projects in 2026 in phases, and we're going to be commissioning in phases.

"We are going to be insisting all through our construction that stone base should be laid wet. It should be laid wet, and it should be laid with paper. So stringent measures that will enable our roads when constructed to last," he stressed.