The Minister of Works Dave Umahi has issued a 14- day termination ultimatum to China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC) Limited over poor job execution on the rehabilitation of the Enugu–Port Harcourt Expressway.

Umahi, who inspected road projects in the South East and South South on Sunday, said the contractor did not comply with the new construction codes and regulations introduced by the ministry. A statement by his media office quoted the minister as saying the rehabilitation job was substandard.

He expressed dissatisfaction with the standard of work on the 43km Aba–Port Harcourt section, saying the road was already showing signs of total failure.

He directed that a 14-day notice of termination be issued to the contractor, having regard to the various warning letters issued to the contractor over their poor construction performance on the said job. He further directed that the Port Harcourt bound of the project be descoped and re-awarded to a competent contractor.

Umahi said: “If you get to Port Harcourt end, which they did about two years or thereabout, the entire road has almost totally failed. We have been writing them to maintain this road. “They have refused, and so I have to take responsibility and take decision.”

“Firstly, the Port Harcourt bound is descoped, no longer going to be done by CCECC. “I will direct the Ministry of Works to scout out for very qualified indigenous contractors to handle the Port Harcourt bound. “They should be the contractor that will start work immediately while we sort out for funds for them.

“Secondly, for the site handled by CCECC, they should issue them 14 days notice of termination of the job. And I want this directive to go very wide. “After 14 days, if they failed to mill out the binder and replace it properly, the job will be terminated; they have to initiate it; they have to commit into doing that.”