The Federal Government has temporarily suspended reconstruction work on the Ibadan-Ife-Ilesa Road and directed the contractor handling the project, CBC Global Civil and Building Construction Nigeria Ltd., to review the pavement mixture specifications being used on the road.
The directive was issued on Sunday by the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, during an inspection tour of the Osun section of the ongoing road reconstruction project.
Umahi, who inspected the project alongside federal lawmakers and other stakeholders, instructed the contractor to visit another project site to study the pavement mixture being used there before resuming work on the affected section.
According to the minister, the contractor should slow down work on the main carriageway and immediately establish two separate teams to focus on the construction of the inner and outer shoulders of the road, which he described as critical components of the project.
He also warned that failure to complete the project within the stipulated timeframe could lead to the redeployment of the Controller of Works overseeing the project in Osun State.
The minister disclosed that similar actions had been taken against controllers in other states and stressed that accountability and performance would remain key requirements for officials supervising federal road projects.
During the inspection, Umahi expressed concern over a N2.8 billion palliative works certificate reportedly issued to the contractor, stating that he had not observed evidence of the work for which the payment approval was granted.
Consequently, he directed the Controller of Works to withdraw the certificate within 24 hours and instructed the contractor to properly execute all palliative works on the road.
The minister further ordered that all failed and cracked sections of the road be milled and repaired, while affected areas should receive the appropriate binder treatment to ensure durability.
Emphasising the importance of quality delivery, Umahi stated that future working relationships with contractors would be based strictly on performance and adherence to project specifications.
He also directed the Controller of Works to remove heavy-duty trucks parked on newly constructed concrete sections of the road within 24 hours, warning that prolonged parking of such vehicles could generate internal stress capable of weakening the pavement structure.
In addition, the minister ordered contractors handling solar streetlight installations along the corridor to suspend work until the construction of the road shoulders is completed, noting that the installations could not be effectively carried out before the shoulder works were concluded.
Despite the concerns raised during the inspection, Umahi commended CBC Global Civil and Building Construction Nigeria Ltd. for its commitment to the project, revealing that the company had continued construction despite outstanding government payments.
According to him, the contractor is handling approximately 108 kilometres of the road and has already completed about 70 kilometres of work, maintaining an average progress rate of about one kilometre per day.
The Ibadan-Ife-Ilesa Road remains one of the strategic federal highways connecting Oyo, Osun and other parts of the South-West, serving as a major route for commercial and passenger transportation across the region.
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