By John Umeh
The Federal Government has terminated the contract for the 43-kilometre Port-Harcourt–Aba carriageway handled by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), citing persistent poor workmanship and repeated refusals by the contractor to comply with directives.
Minister of Works Dave Umahi announced the decision on Sunday after inspecting the stretch and being briefed by his project controllers. According to the minister, the section of the road worked on by CCECC is now “at the verge of total collapse” despite substantial federal funds already expended on the project.
“This is an inherited job of 43 kilometres; we have invested heavily and done everything to ensure one carriageway is finished,” Umahi told reporters. “Yet the contractor’s method — laying binder for long stretches without putting wearing course or completing shoulders — is unacceptable. We have warned them more than twenty times.”
What went wrong
Umahi said engineers found binder layers laid over long distances with no protective wearing course or properly constructed shoulders, a practice he described as a “serious source of concern.” The minister said the contractor’s patchy approach and failure to follow instructions have exposed the road to early failure, with parts already showing advanced deterioration.
“We started concrete works on inner and outer shoulders while they used asphalt for the 7.3m carriageway,” Umahi explained. “But doing binder without wearing or shoulders is begging for collapse. If you go to the Port Harcourt end, which they completed about two years ago, the entire road has almost totally failed.”
Immediate orders and ultimatum
The Ministry has directed that a 14-day notice of termination be issued to CCECC. The contractor is required to mill out the defective binder and replace it at its own cost — work the government says it has already paid for — or face stiffer sanctions, including the shutdown of all CCECC projects across Nigeria.
“If they fail to mill out the binder and replace it properly within 14 days, I will shut down all their projects in Nigeria,” Umahi warned. “I will do that. We will publish the notice of termination so the public will see the warnings we gave and the failure we are addressing.”
The minister also directed the Ministry of Works to recruit “very qualified indigenous contractors” to complete the Port-Harcourt-bound stretch immediately, and to source funds for that purpose without further delay.
Accountability for taxpayers’ money
Umahi framed the move as a defence of public funds and an attempt to protect road users, saying contractors who accept government payments must deliver according to technical specifications.
“I want the press to capture the failure of a road that the federal government has used taxpayers’ money to pay for,” he said. “When we pay and they cannot do the right construction, then they have to pay for it.”
He stressed that the ministry will make public the letters and warnings previously sent to CCECC, arguing transparency was needed to counter any narrative that the government had not tried to hold the contractor to account.
Safety threat and tough rhetoric
The minister expressed grave concern that continued deterioration could soon lead to accidents and fatalities. He threatened personal enforcement measures if the company failed to act.
“If from tomorrow they don’t start amending this, I will come back and arrest the Chinese people who are on this project because they have taken the money, and they have to maintain these places,” Umahi said.
What happens next
The planned orderly handover to a local contractor will require quick procurement, mobilisation of machinery and personnel, and fresh funding. The ministry says it will prioritise firms with proven track records on similar corridors and will publish progress updates as work resumes.
Officials have also signalled that the government will pursue financial recovery or contractual sanctions against CCECC for the cost of remedial works already paid for and not delivered to specification.
Context and implications
The decision adds to growing scrutiny of road projects across the country where poor quality delivery and cost overruns have fuelled public anger. Infrastructure experts say rapid substitution of contractors can arrest further decay, but caution that fast, rigorous procurement and close supervision are essential to avoid repeating mistakes.
For affected road users and communities between Port Harcourt and Aba, which rely on the corridor for commerce and commuting, the termination may bring hope of a properly built carriageway — but only if the replacement contractor delivers quickly and to specification.
The Ministry of Works has pledged to publish the termination notice and the correspondence with CCECC to ensure transparency. Meanwhile, the 14-day ultimatum sets a tight timeline for the contractor to demonstrate compliance or face an unprecedented shutdown of its projects nationwide.
