VIDEO: Umahi orders arrest of contractor over Benin-Onitsha road delays

The Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has sanctioned Hartland Construction Company and ordered the arrest of its Managing Director over incomplete performance despite receiving funding.

Umahi gave the directive during a recent on-the-spot inspection of the Summit Junction-to-Head Bridge section of the Benin-Onitsha Expressway, expressing anger over the severe traffic congestion and hardship inflicted on commuters due to slow progress on the route.

In a video of the inspection shared on X by user Imranmuhdz on Friday, the minister disclosed that the Federal Government paid the firm to complete 11 kilometres of road alongside channelisation and hydraulic structures, but the contractor executed only about 40 per cent of the agreed scope.

“Hartland, we paid them, and when I paid them that money, we reached an agreement: you are going to finish 11 kilometres from the Summit Junction to this bridge with the money I’m paying you… But today they have just done about 40% of the agreement,” Umahi said.

“So I recalled the MD to discuss with him for them to come back to the site. I am going to look for him to arrest him; I’m going to arrest him. So, the controller, you look for the MD of Hartland and arrest him,” he added.

Directing ministry directors to take immediate punitive measures, Umahi ordered the recovery of funds and the review of all payment certificates issued to the contractor.

“I want Engineer Musa to tell the directors to call up the MPG immediately. You are to write to the banks to pay us that money,” the minister ordered.

“Look at the kind of mess we are having; even to do small filling on the road… look at the kind of traffic jam in this location because of the wickedness of our contractors, and they have to bring down all their payments and all the certificates.

“You have to do this instruction and then send it to me. This is very important, every of their certificates in all the jobs… we are going to sanction Hartland; this is not acceptable.”

He instructed site engineers to deploy stone base immediately to fill critical failed sections and ease traffic flow.

Addressing Federal Controllers of Works across the country, Umahi issued a stern warning against allowing project sites to deteriorate into impassable gridlocks, emphasising that routine maintenance should occur regardless of funding status.

“Let me give a sound warning to all our controllers: if a project is going on, whether there is payment or not, you cannot allow the situation of the road to be like this,” he stated. “There are places that even ₦20,000, ₦50,000, or ₦100,000 can fix and lessen the suffering of the people.”

The minister also directed the immediate arrest of individuals engaging in illegal dredging along road corridors, as well as contractors whose failure to construct proper side drainages leads to erosion damage in surrounding residential communities.

He said, “Let me also give you an order if you see anybody that is doing dredging, I don’t want to know who the person is, you have to cause an arrest immediately. It’s when you have arrested them, you tell me, okay?

“When you see a contractor that is on a road and a section is not passable, you do an arrest. When you arrest, you let me know. Enough is enough.

“It’s in their own interest to at least put drainage to protect people’s homes against erosion. If anybody complains of erosion in his house and we hold them squarely responsible, in fact, I will arrest them, so let them immediately put the drainage on two sides of the road to control destruction of people’s houses,” he added.

The enforcement action comes amid heightened federal scrutiny of major transit corridors following mounting public outcry over severe gridlock.

Watch the video below:

𝐕𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐎: 𝐔𝐦𝐚𝐡𝐢 𝐎𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐀𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐎𝐟 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧-𝐎𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐬𝐡𝐚 𝐑𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐬

Credit: X| Imranmuhdz pic.twitter.com/HhNw13QMOg

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