Benin-Sapele-Warri Road:FG Terminates Levant Contract Over Non-Performance
The Minister of Works, Senator Nweze David Umahi, has terminated the contract awarded to Levant Construction Ltd to reconstruct Section 1 (Benin-Imasabor) of the Benin-Sapele-Warri Road.
The Minister cited persistent non-performance and failure to remobilise to site despite multiple warnings.
Speaking after a high-level meeting with the Chief Executives of GELD Construction Ltd and SKECC Nigeria Ltd in Abuja, Umahi expressed deep dissatisfaction over Levant’s conduct.
He revealed that the contractor had abandoned the site even after a termination warning notice that required them to resume within 14 days.
“We divided the worst parts of the road into two. Levant was asked to handle one, while the Edo State Government, which we had to beg to step in, is currently handling the other 23km at ₦35bn.
“That section is going well. Levant, on the other hand, simply left the site. This cannot be condoned,” the Minister said.
Umahi directed the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Engr. Olufunso Adebiyi, to initiate formal termination procedures, including notifying the contractor’s bank to refund the Advance Payment Guarantee (APG), or risk EFCC intervention.
However, the Minister expressed satisfaction with GELD and SKECC Nigeria Ltd over discussions to accelerate work on their respective road sections.
This followed GELD Construction’s commitment to return to the site on the Benin-Sapele-Warri Road and the Lokoja-Abuja Road after the Ministry agreed to review project costs in light of inflation and escalating asphalt prices.
“They’re going back on trust. Asphalt was ₦9,000 per square meter, now it’s ₦30,000. We must support genuine contractors,” Umahi said.
He also commended the Governor of Delta State, Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, for undertaking the construction of three flyovers and agreeing to deliver an additional 10km of reinforced concrete roads.
Umahi also praised the Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, for his state’s direct intervention.
Responding to recent allegations that the Ministry favoured Southern Nigeria in the allocation of road projects, Umahi dismissed the claims as misleading and unfounded.
He emphasized that the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is focused on national unity and equitable infrastructure development across all six geopolitical zones.
“Let’s stop this South versus North narrative. Roads don’t have ethnic identities. Northerners use Southern roads and vice versa,” Umahi stated.
He listed dozens of ongoing northern projects including:
Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Road: ₦777bn, 30% paid, concrete design; Sokoto-Zamfara-Katsina-Kaduna Superhighway: 750km, ₦825bn; and Zaria-Nkru Road: 152km.
Others are; BUA Tax Credit Projects: 256km in Jigawa, Kano, Katsina; Kano-Maiduguri Highway: Multiple sections ongoing, concrete standard; Akwanga-Jos-Bauchi-Gombe Superhighway: 439km, concrete upgrade under Presidential directive;
Makurdi-9th Mile-Enugu Road: 260km, $1bn.
He clarified that while the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway has received significant funding, Northern projects such as the ₦2trn Kebbi dual carriageway and ₦454bn Sokoto road are equally prioritized and of the same high-quality concrete standard.
Addressing concerns about the slow pace of work on the Eleme-Onne section of the East-West Road, Umahi disclosed that the ₦156bn Tax Credit project, featuring flyovers and the Aleto Bridge, has seen significant progress after initial challenges with the contractor, RCC.
“We’ve completed one carriageway, and flyovers are ongoing. Yes, we are asphalting over sections with flyovers for traffic ease, but that doesn’t mean the project isn’t moving. It is,” he clarified.
Benin-Sapele-Warri Road:FG Terminates Levant Contract Over Non-Performance is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
