By: Goodluck E.Adubazi, Abuja.

The Federal Government has ordered contractors handling federal road projects across the country to return to site immediately or risk investigation and recovery of funds through the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

Minister of Works, Engr. Sen. David Umahi, gave the warning on Wednesday in Abuja while briefing journalists in the Ministry on the progress of major federal road projects, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s four legacy infrastructure projects.

Umahi said the government would no longer tolerate situations where contractors receive public funds but fail to deploy the money to construction sites.

He warned that contractors found holding government funds without corresponding work on site would face aggressive recovery measures.

“If you have the money of the Federal Government, no matter who is behind you, you will either meet us with the EFCC or you meet us in your bank to recover the money,” the minister said.

According to him, the Ministry had already alerted the EFCC, ICPC and civil society organisations, while six Senior Special Assistants had also been deployed to monitor and supervise projects nationwide and report directly to the Ministry.

Umahi said the government had re-scoped and re-phased several inherited projects and moved them into the new infrastructure financing framework.

He explained that contractors currently holding government funds would be required to exhaust such funds on the projects before receiving additional funding.

“From next week, any contractor that has their money and it’s not on site, we are going to call for the recovery so that we recover the money,” he said.

The minister also expressed concern that some contractors executing federal projects were allegedly giving greater attention to state-funded projects, warning that such practice would no longer be tolerated.

Umahi listed several federal road projects which he said had either been completed or were substantially completed and ready for commissioning.

Among them are the 77-kilometre project handled by CCECC; the 43-kilometre Keffi-Mararaba section by China Harbour Engineering Company; the Lafia Bypass, including a 15-kilometre section; the 7.9-kilometre Bonny Islands project; and other completed sections across the country.

He also listed the Gombe-Bauchi rehabilitation project, several completed bridges, flyovers and sections of major highways in the South-East and South-West.

The minister said the Shagamu-Ijebu Junction corridor and other sections of major highways were also receiving attention, while substantial portions of some projects had already been completed.

He said an updated list of completed and ongoing federal road projects would soon be published on the Ministry’s website and circulated to journalists and stakeholders.

Giving an update on the first of President Tinubu’s four legacy projects, Umahi said the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway remained a major component of the Federal Government’s infrastructure programme.

He said Section 1, covering 47.47 kilometres, had been fully completed and was ready for commissioning.

Section 2, covering about 55 kilometres, includes major flyovers, overpasses and underpasses, with part of the section expected to be completed soon.

The minister explained that some sections required redesign because of difficult terrain, subsoil conditions and the need to accommodate heavy-duty traffic associated with industrial and refinery activities.

He said construction was also progressing on sections of the highway through Ogun, Ondo, Edo, Delta, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states.

Umahi said President Tinubu had approved the alignment of part of the coastal highway through the existing East-West Road rather than creating an entirely new alignment in some areas.

According to him, sections of the existing East-West corridor would be raised in flood-prone locations to address climate-change-related challenges.

He also highlighted the planned Benin bypass, saying it would reduce traffic through the Benin City urban centre and improve connectivity along the corridor.

The minister said the second legacy project, the Sokoto-Badagry Highway, covers approximately 1,068 kilometres.

He disclosed that the 120-kilometre Sokoto section was about 60 per cent completed despite security challenges, while the 258-kilometre Kebbi section was more than 40 per cent completed.

The 62.35-kilometre Badagry section, according to him, was also about 40 per cent completed, while the 480-kilometre Oyo axis had recorded about 10 per cent progress.

Umahi said the Federal Government remained determined to push ahead with the project despite security and funding challenges.

The minister also provided updates on other major infrastructure projects, including the Trans-Sahara corridor and the Kaduna-Jos-Bauchi-Gombe-Biu axis.

He said additional sections had been approved for dualisation, while new designs and procurement processes were underway for some corridors.

According to Umahi, the Federal Government is adopting an infrastructure investment model that combines government funding with external financing and economic activities along the corridors.

He said the projects were designed not only as roads but also as economic corridors capable of supporting agriculture, tourism, housing, energy projects, industrial development and other investments.

The Minister expressed confidence that the major legacy projects could be completed if the current administration secures another term.

He said the Federal Government had already made significant progress on several of the projects and had addressed many of the challenges that previously slowed construction.

“If we engage in these five years and we are about 80 per cent engaged, I believe strongly that, with the re-election of Mr. President, through the power of God, we have the opportunity to complete the legacy projects,” Umahi said.

He maintained that the Ministry would continue to monitor contractors, recover public funds where necessary and ensure that federal road projects were delivered in line with government commitments.