Umahi Halts Work on Section of Ibadan-Ife-Ilesa Road, Orders Review and Sanctions

Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has ordered the temporary suspension of construction activities on a section of the Ibadan-Ife-Ilesa Road project, citing concerns over the pavement mixture being used on the highway.

The directive was issued during an inspection of the Osun State section of the road project on Sunday, where Umahi instructed the contractor, CBC Global Civil and Building Construction Nigeria Ltd, to review its pavement specifications before resuming work on the affected section.

According to the minister, the contractor must first visit another project site to study the pavement mixture being used there and apply the lessons learned to ensure compliance with approved standards.

“Go and check that mixture and then resume your work,” Umahi directed.

In addition to the suspension order, the minister instructed the company to scale down activities on the carriageway and immediately deploy two teams to focus on constructing the inner and outer shoulders, which he described as critical components of the project in several locations.

Umahi also warned that failure to deliver the project within the agreed timeline could attract sanctions, including the redeployment of 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.

The minister further questioned the issuance of a N2.8 billion palliative certificate to the contractor, stating that he had not observed any corresponding palliative works on the road despite the certification.

“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,” Umahi said.

He subsequently directed the Controller of Works to withdraw the certificate within 24 hours and ordered the contractor to carry out the agreed palliative repairs, including the milling of all failed and cracked sections of the road.

“I don’t want to see any pothole, and the agreement is that you will mill all the failed and cracked sections,” he stressed.

The minister also instructed the contractor to apply binder on affected portions of the highway, emphasizing that future engagements with contractors would depend on their performance and commitment to quality delivery.

“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.

Umahi further ordered the removal of heavy-duty trucks parked on newly constructed concrete sections of the road within 24 hours, warning that prolonged parking could compromise the structural integrity of the pavement.

“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.

The minister also directed contractors handling solar streetlight installations along the corridor to suspend their activities until 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 maintaining steady progress on the project despite outstanding payments from the Federal Government.

“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,” the minister noted.

The Ibadan-Ife-Ilesa Road remains one of the key highway projects aimed at improving transportation and economic activities across the South-West region, with the Federal Government reiterating its commitment to ensuring that all ongoing road projects meet approved engineering standards.