Why we terminated Julius Berger’s Abuja-Kaduna road rehabilitation contract – FG

Why we terminated Julius Berger’s Abuja-Kaduna road rehabilitation contract – FG

 

The Federal Government has advanced reasons for terminating the Abuja-Kaduna road rehabilitation contract being handled by Julius Berger Plc.

Director of Press at the Ministry of Works, Mohammed Ahmed, in a statement on Monday said the contract termination was based on non-compliance with the reviewed cost, scope and terms, stoppage of work and refusal to remobilise to the site as directed by the ministry.

“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, he stated.

The contract covers section one of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano dual carriageway.

Ahmed said negotiations had been ongoing for several months without any significant progress.

But Minister of Works, David Umahi, on September 23 said the Abuja-Kano road project handled by Julius Berger received approval for N740 billion.

He said the project, which was initially valued at N155 billion, was revised to N797 billion by the previous administration and further increased to N1.5 trillion.

In the Monday’s statement, Ahmed said, “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.”