The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has instructed security authorities to apprehend the Managing Director of Hartland Nigeria Limited after the firm failed to complete an 11-kilometre portion of the Benin-Onitsha Expressway, despite receiving nearly ₦14 billion in government funding.
The directive was issued on Friday when the minister visited the highway to evaluate the progress and condition of ongoing works.
Umahi expressed serious dissatisfaction with the state of the road, questioning why the contractor had failed to deliver the project after receiving a substantial payment from the Federal Government.
He disclosed that an agreement had been reached with Hartland Nigeria Limited for the company to use the funds provided to complete the section of the expressway stretching from Summit Junction to a nearby bridge.
The project was also expected to include the provision of drainage channels and hydraulic structures designed to improve water management and prevent further deterioration of the road.
Despite the financial commitment made by the government, Umahi said the contractor had completed only about 40 per cent of the work covered by the agreement.
The minister explained that he had earlier summoned the company’s managing director and urged him to return to the site and resume construction. However, dissatisfied with the company’s performance, he ordered the ministry’s controller to locate the executive and ensure his arrest.
Umahi equally directed ministry officials to obtain a complete breakdown of all payments made to Hartland Nigeria Limited, alongside the certificates issued to the contractor for projects handled on behalf of the government.
He warned that the Federal Government would take steps to reclaim its money if the company failed to meet its contractual responsibilities.
The minister consequently instructed senior officials within the ministry to contact the relevant financial institutions and begin the process of recovering the funds. He also demanded a detailed examination of the contractor’s payment records and certificates to establish how much had been released and what work had actually been executed.
Umahi stressed that the government would not tolerate a situation where contractors receive billions of naira but fail to deliver projects according to agreed specifications and timelines.
He further ordered an immediate technical assessment of the two bridges located along the affected stretch. Officials were also directed to examine roughly one kilometre of the road and determine the temporary measures that could be implemented to ease the heavy traffic affecting motorists.
According to the minister, contractors have a duty to prevent road conditions from deteriorating to a point where motorists face unnecessary hardship. He argued that simple remedial work carried out at an early stage could have prevented the extensive damage currently witnessed along the route.
Umahi noted that relatively small amounts of money could have been used to address some of the damaged sections before they became major problems. He therefore warned contractors against neglecting sections of roads simply because they were awaiting further payments.
He also directed officials to take action against individuals engaged in unauthorised dredging activities along roads and infrastructure controlled by the ministry.
The minister said officials should not hesitate to arrest anyone found conducting illegal dredging, regardless of the person’s identity or connections.
Umahi also maintained that contractors would be held responsible where sections of roads under their supervision become inaccessible due to neglect.
He directed ministry personnel to ensure that appropriate action is taken whenever contractors fail to maintain passable roadways, stressing that the government would no longer accept practices that worsen the difficulties faced by Nigerians.
The minister’s directives form part of efforts by the Ministry of Works to strengthen supervision, enforce contractual obligations and ensure that public funds allocated for infrastructure development produce the required results.
