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The federal government has temporarily suspended reconstruction work on the Ibadan–Ife–Ilesa Road, directing the contractor handling the project to halt operations and review the pavement mixture specifications being used.
The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, issued the directive on Sunday to CBC Global Civil and Building Construction Nigeria Ltd during an inspection of the Osun section of the road project.
Umahi instructed the contractor to visit another project site to study the pavement mixture before resuming work. “Go and check that mixture and then resume your work,” the minister said.
He also directed the contractor to reduce activities on the carriageway and immediately deploy two teams to focus on constructing the inner and outer shoulders, describing the shoulder works as critical in some sections of the road.
The minister further warned that if the project was not completed within the stipulated timeframe, he would redeploy the Controller of Works overseeing the project in Osun State. “I have removed a number of controllers in some states, starting with my own state.
“I am going to make a classroom in my ministry and bring professionals into the classroom. Those I am removing from sites are going to be learning every day. When you pass, we deploy you back to site,” he said.
Umahi also questioned the issuance of a N2.8 billion palliative certificate to the contractor, saying he had not seen evidence of the work for which the approval was granted.
“I am on these roads, and I have not seen where the palliative was done, but you already gave a palliative certificate of N2.8 billion,” he said.
The minister directed the Controller of Works to withdraw the certificate within 24 hours and instructed the contractor to carry out the palliative work in line with the agreement.
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“I don’t want to see any pothole, and the agreement is that you will mill all the failed and cracked sections,” he said.
Umahi also ordered the contractor to apply binder on affected sections and said future engagements would depend on performance.
“My friendship is based on the work. I don’t have a permanent friend or a permanent enemy. We have to take responsibility for what the public has asked us to do,” he stated.
The minister further directed the Controller of Works to remove heavy-duty trucks parked on newly constructed concrete sections of the road within 24 hours, warning that prolonged parking could weaken the pavement structure.
“The moment you have those things parked, it generates internal stress on the concrete. You will not see it immediately, but that is the failure of the concrete,” he explained.
He also instructed contractors handling solar streetlight installations along the corridor to suspend work until the shoulder construction is completed.
“Solar lights must be done when we are done. You can’t effectively do the solar lights on the shoulders until you have done the shoulders,” he said.
Despite the concerns raised during the inspection, Umahi commended CBC Global Civil and Building Construction Nigeria Ltd for continuing work on the project despite outstanding government payments.
“We have not paid them. They are working on 108 kilometres. They have done about 70 kilometres, and they do about one kilometre per day,” he said.
