Nigerian Concord Newspaper
The story of the Akure–Ado-Ekiti road is the story of Nigeria’s procurement paradox.
There was initial euphoria. The Federal Government awarded the contract for the reconstruction and dualisation of this critical 50km economic artery. Contractors mobilized, cleared corridors for a second lane, and erected bridges and culverts designed for dualisation. Hope was high.
Today, that hope has evaporated.
What we have on ground is a single rehabilitated carriageway. The heavy equipment has demobilized. The sites are deserted. Yet the bridges and earthworks remain — silent monuments to a dual carriageway that never materialized.
A TROUBLED CONTRACTUAL HISTORY
This project has been a cycle of awards and cancellations.
1. 2019: An initial ₦30 billion contract was awarded to Dantata & Sawoe, and later revoked.
2. March 29, 2023: The Federal Executive Council re-awarded it as a full dualisation at ₦95.98 billion.
– Akure to Ondo/Ekiti boundary: ₦46.68 billion to Samchase & Horizon Construction, 24 months.
– Ekiti boundary to Ado-Ekiti: ₦49.30 billion to Kopek Construction, 30 months.
The project was flagged off in May 2023.
*THE UNANSWERED QUESTIONS FOR MINISTER UMAHI
Senator David Umahi, Minister of Works, the people of Ondo and Ekiti deserve transparency.
1. Scope Dilution: Was the dualisation mandate unilaterally downgraded to a single carriageway? Who approved it and why was there no public communication?
2. Fiscal Accountability: Has the contract sum been revised? How much has been disbursed to Samchase/Horizon and to Kopek?
3. Structural Inconsistency: Why construct bridges and drainage for dualisation if the delivery plan was only one lane?
4. Project Status: Have the contractors abandoned site, or is this a temporary suspension? What is the percentage completion?
5. The Bottom Line: Will the Federal Government still deliver the dual carriageway for which ₦96 billion of taxpayers’ money was appropriated?
CONCLUSION
Minister, this is not just asphalt. It is the economic lifeline between Ondo and Ekiti. It moves goods, students, patients, and investments.
A single carriageway cannot be surreptitiously substituted for an approved dual carriageway under a veil of silence.
The people demand clarity: What was approved, what was paid, what was delivered, and what happened to the balance of the project.
We are watching. Ekiti and Ondo are watching.
Published by: ISAPOL CONSULTANCY INFORMATION COMMUNICATION FIRM