The Federal Government has issued a 14-day Notice of Termination to the Messrs Julius Berger (Nig.) Plc for the Rehabilitation of Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Dual Carriageway in FCT, Kaduna and Kano States, Contract No.6350, Section I (Abuja-Kaduna), on Monday 4th November, 2024.
This was based on non-compliance with reviewed cost, scope and terms, stoppage of work and refusal to remobilise to site which has borned out of several months of going back and forth without meaningful progress reached deadline at a Management meeting of the Works Ministry.
According to the statement released by the Ministry on Monday, stated that in the last 13 months the Ministry has been in constant talks with the company, in order to reach an amiable position on the said alignment but to no avail.
While explaining, the Ministry said Nigerians may wish to know that the Contract for the Rehabilitation of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria- Kano Dual Carriageway, was divided into three (3) Sections and awarded to the company on 20th December, 2017.
Adding that it was flagged off by the then Minister of Power, Works and Housing, H:E. Babatunde Raji Fashola at an initial sum of N155.748,178,425.50 billion (One Hundred and Fifty-Five Billion, Seven Hundred Forty- Eight Million, One Hundred and Seventy-Eight Thousand, Four Hundred and Twenty-Five naira Fifty Kobo) on 18th June, 2018.
It pressed further that the Sections II (Kaduna – Zaria) and III (Zaria – Kano) were partially completed and handed over during the twilight of the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR. Since then it has been one variation and augmentation or the other and finally, the present Minister of Works directed for the redesigning and re-scoping of the Section I of the contract, according to the statement.
The Ministry explained further that the alignment was divided into two with one phase redesigned to be on continuously reinforced concrete pavement (CRCP), while the remaining with asphaltic pavement.
“Approval for the Section I, Phase 1 for a length of 38 (thirty-eight) kilometres on concrete pavement was given to Messrs Dangote Industries (Nig.) Ltd.
“While the remaining 127 (one hundred and twenty-seven) kilometres remained with the substantive contractor. The Phase 1 was flagged off on 17th October, 2024 with a 14-month completion period.“Due to the stalemate of the contract and, most importantly, the desire of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as encapsulated in the infrastructure initiative, to see to completion of this laudable project, also to alleviate the sufferings of Nigerians plying the road, the Ministry re-scoped it and got the approval of the Federal Executive Council (FEC)”.
The Ministry disclosed that the award for the Re-scoping, Downward Review of Contract for the Rehabilitation which was in favour of Messrs Julius Berger (Nig.) Plc from the sum of N797,263,523,738.87 to over N740 billion granted on 23rd Sep, 2024 and conveyed to the company on 3rd October, 2024.
The Ministry expressed sadness that commentary on the Company that rather than accepting the offer, they tinkered with the Bills of Quantities, as well as that of the Engineering Measurements and Evaluation via a letter to the Ministry dated 29th October, 2024.
While the company was summoned for a meeting with the Ministry Management on Monday, 4th November, 2024 but refused to show up, hence the termination of contract was based on effluxion of time and non- performance.
