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The Federal Government has terminated the contract for the Rehabilitation of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Dual Carriageway, Section I (Abuja-Kaduna) from Julius Berger Construction company.
A statement by the Director of Press, Federal Ministry of Works, Mohammed Ahmed, said the decision was made following the failure of the management of Berger to show up for a meeting to fine-tune the contract sum which the government had pegged at N740bn which the company rejected.
“It is a sad commentary on the Company that rather than accepting the offer, they tinkered with the Bills of Quantities, as well as that of Engineering Measurements and Evaluation via a letter to the Ministry dated 29th October, 2024. The company was summoned for a meeting with the Management of the Ministry, today, 4th November, 2024 but refused to show up, hence the termination of the contract based on effluxion of time and non- performance.
“Based on non-compliance with reviewed cost, scope and terms, stoppage of work and refusal to remobilise to site, as directed, the Federal Ministry of Works has issued a 14-day Notice of Termination to Messrs Julius Berger (Nig.) Plc for the Rehabilitation of Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Dual Carriageway in FCT, Kaduna and Kano States, Contract No.6350, Section I (Abuja-Kaduna), today, 4th November, 2024.”
He said the decision was borne out of several months of back and forth without any meaningful progress was reached at management meeting between the Ministry and Julius Berger.
Recall that the Contract for the road was awarded to Julius Berger in 2018 and was supposed to cost less than N155.7bn with a 36 months completion date.
But the cost rose to over N600 billion and 6 years after less than 50 percent of the road had been completed.
Ahmed noted that the ministry has in the last 13 months been in constant talks with the company, in order to reach an amiable position on the said alignment but to no avail.
“Nigerians may wish to know that the contract for the Rehabilitation of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Dual Carriageway, which was divided into three (3) Sections was awarded to the company on 20th December, 2017 and flagged off by the then Minister of Power, Works and Housing, H:E. Babatunde Raji Fashola at an initial sum of N155.7bn on 18th June, 2018.
“Sections II (Kaduna – Zaria) and III (Zaria – Kano) were partially completed and handed over during the twilight of the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR. Since then it has been one variation and augmentation or the other and finally, the present Minister of Works directed for the redesigning and re-scoping of the Section I of the contract…”
