The Federal Government has terminated the contract awarded to Levant Construction Limited for the reconstruction of the Benin–Sapele–Warri road due to poor performance and abandonment of the project.
Minister of Works, David Umahi, made this known after a meeting in Abuja with contractors handling various sections of the road. The project is being executed under the Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Scheme.
Umahi said Levant ignored several warnings and a final notice to return to site, even after the Edo State Government took over emergency repairs on the worst-hit 23km stretch for ₦35 billion.
“We begged the Edo State Governor to help. He delivered. But Levant failed to do its part,” Umahi said.
He directed the ministry’s Permanent Secretary to recover public funds by measuring completed work and contacting the company’s bank to retrieve the Advance Payment Guarantee. He warned that failure to refund could lead to EFCC action.
In contrast, Umahi praised two other contractors—Geld and SKECC—for returning to site after price reviews were approved to reflect the rising cost of materials. Asphalt, for instance, now costs ₦30,000 per square metre, up from ₦9,000.
He also commended Delta and Edo State Governors, Sheriff Oborevwori and Monday Okpebholo, for stepping in to complete abandoned portions of the road.
Responding to allegations from some Northern groups that road projects under President Tinubu favour the South, Umahi dismissed the claims as “malicious and uncharitable.” He insisted that the Ministry of Works does not discriminate by region and is only continuing inherited projects.
“For example, under the NNPC Tax Credit Scheme, Niger State alone gets 26% of the portfolio, while the South-West and South-East together get just 9%,” he explained.
Umahi also addressed public concerns over the cost of the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway, saying that similar spending is being made in the North, such as the Kebbi section of a federal road project costing nearly ₦2 trillion when completed.
On the Eleme–Onne axis of the East–West Road, Umahi said work has improved and explained that fresh asphalt is only being applied in flyover areas to ease traffic flow.
The Minister concluded by assuring Nigerians of President Tinubu’s commitment to fixing federal roads across all regions.
“President Tinubu is not playing politics with roads. He wants Nigerians everywhere to feel the impact of good governance,” Umahi said.
