Federal Government Orders Arrest of Contractor Over N14bn Benin-Onitsha Road Project Delay

Federal Works Minister David Umahi has ordered the arrest of the managing director of Hartland Nigeria Limited over what he described as the company’s failure to complete an 11-kilometre section of the Benin-Onitsha Expressway despite receiving approximately N14 billion in federal funds.

Umahi made the announcement on Friday during an on-the-spot assessment of the deteriorating road. He expressed frustration over the contractor’s alleged non-compliance with contractual obligations, noting that only about 40 per cent of the agreed work had been completed.

The minister said the Federal Government had entered into an agreement with Hartland Nigeria Limited to use the N14 billion payment to complete the 11-kilometre stretch from Summit Junction to a bridge, including channelisation and hydraulic structures. He confirmed that the contractor had failed to deliver on this commitment.

“Today, they have just done about 40 per cent of the agreement,” Umahi stated. “So, I recalled the MD to discuss with him for them to come back to site. I am going to look for him to arrest him.”

Umahi directed the ministry’s controller to locate and detain the managing director immediately. He also instructed officials to retrieve all payment and certificate records related to Hartland’s projects nationwide. The minister emphasised that the Federal Government would pursue the recovery of funds if the contractor failed to meet its obligations.

“We are going to sanction Hartland. This is not acceptable,” he said. “I want the directors to call up the MPG immediately. You have to write to the banks to pay us that money.”

In addition, Umahi ordered an urgent inspection of both bridges along the affected section and a review of one kilometre of road to evaluate immediate corrective actions to ease traffic congestion.

The minister attributed the deteriorating condition of parts of the expressway to contractor negligence, asserting that timely interventions could have minimised hardship for motorists. He directed all ministry controllers across Nigeria to ensure contractors maintained roads under construction, regardless of payment status.

“I don’t want to see this kind of embarrassment again,” he said. “Places where even N20,000, N50,000 or N100,000 can fix should not be allowed to worsen the suffering of the people.”

Umahi also directed immediate arrests of individuals or contractors found engaging in unauthorised dredging activities along federally supervised roads. He reiterated that contractors responsible for incomplete or impassable road sections would face consequences.

Addressing another contractor, TCCCC, Umahi ordered the installation of drainage channels along a bypass where construction activities allegedly caused erosion affecting nearby homes. He warned that the contractor would be held accountable if residents reported property damage due to inadequate drainage.

“If anybody complains of erosion in his house, we will hold them squarely responsible. In fact, I will arrest them,” he said. “Let them immediately put the drainages on both sides of the road.”

The minister commended Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori for compensating affected property owners and praised works officials in Anambra and Delta states for their efforts. He urged other controllers to be more vigilant in monitoring contractors and protecting road users from unnecessary hardship.

The Benin-Onitsha Expressway is a critical transport corridor linking Edo, Delta, and Anambra states, facilitating the movement of goods and passengers between major economic hubs in southern Nigeria.

#FederalMinistryOfWorks #BeninOnitshaExpressway #DavidUmahi #HartlandNigeria #RoadContractors #NigeriaInfrastructure #TrafficCongestion #DeltaState