Contractors currently working on more than four projects will no longer get new road contracts, the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi has said.
Umahi said the move is to enable them to concentrate and complete the projects they are working on before bidding for new ones.
He stated this when he met with contractors handling federal roads across the six geo-political zones in the country, in Abuja.
Umahi said, “Henceforth, any company that has four projects with the Ministry of Works will not get another project until it finishes the one awarded.
“Mr President just approved 60 projects and we will start the designing and the profiling. So, if you can finish your jobs quickly, you will be part of the bidding but if you can’t finish your job, you can’t bid and we won’t differentiate between expatriate and local contractors.
“The house must submit to the new policy of the Federal Ministry of Works.”
The Works Minister gave a 14-day ultimatum to contractors who have been awarded contracts to mobilize to the site or risk losing such contracts to competitors.
He also warned expatriate companies to cease cheating Nigeria in road completion.
He noted that the Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration has zero tolerance for contractors cheating taxpayers.
“You contractors cheat us on the thickness of asphalt. The bitumen imported is of bad quality and then you start putting an enhancer and modifier. We don’t want that again, there is no such thing overseas. Use the type of asphalt used abroad.
“I believe I have called enough meetings on this issue and we must move forward. Let me advise contractors that are meeting and have ganged up.
“We have learnt that some of you want to sabotage me to prove that concrete is not good. That is a lie, concrete is very good,” he stated.
