The Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, has issued a 14-day termination ultimatum to China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC) Limited over poor job execution.
The Minister gave the ultimatum last weekend while on a routine road inspection in Abia State.
According to him, in a statement from his Special Adviser Media, Orji Uchenna Orji, the construction methodology deployed by the Company on the rehabilitation works on the Aba-bound of the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway road with contract No. 6252 was substandard.
Orji said, “The Minister, who was on a routine supervision of ongoing road projects within South South and South East on Sunday, 19th October 2025, expressed displeasure over the recalcitrance of the contractor in complying with the new construction codes and regulations, which are aimed at building enduring road infrastructure for the nation”
Speaking during the inspection visit, the Minister decried the state of the 43-km Aba-Port Harcourt inherited ongoing project handled by CCECC, which he said was on the verge of total collapse.
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.
“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 to maintain this road. They have refused, and so I have to take responsibility and make a 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 a very qualified indigenous contractor 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-day 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 to doing that.
Even if they are going to do it during the dry season, they have to maintain the ones that they have done, and they must put in writing that they’re going to mill out the binder at their own cost, and then be able to put a new binder, which we have paid for. He reiterated that putting binder for a stretch of the project without putting wearing is unacceptable.”
Orji also said, “On another development, the Minister has commended the quality of works on the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction of Enugu-Port Harcourt Dual Carriageway, Section II – Umuahia Tower-Aba Rail/ Road crossing in Abia State with Contract No. 6209 handled by M/S Arab Contractors O. A. O Nigeria Limited. The 56-km inherited ongoing project was noted to have reached 85% completion.”
He quoted the Minister saying, “They are one of our best, the first five. Even, we want them to maintain from Aba to Umuahia, the completed section. So they’re working very hard. The controller is also doing very well. I wish the controller to visit all the projects of the Federal Government in Abia State.
He should be able to visit all the projects in Abia State at least once a week, so that if there is a problem of impending danger or cost, he will let us know.”
The Minister noted the terrible situation of inherited road projects nationwide, which are all receiving priority attention by the Renewed Hope administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He thanked Mr President for the encouragement given to the Federal Ministry of Works to turn around the road development trajectory of Nigeria.
