Contractor Scandal Rocks Federal Road Project in Nasarawa as Officials Demand Action
Oluwafunbi Bello 
Minister of Works, David Umahi
NASARAWA, Nigeria – Allegations of poor construction practices have cast a shadow over the federally funded Keffi–Nasarawa–Toto–Abaji Road project, a critical transport corridor linking several communities across Nigeria’s North-Central region.
During an inspection of the project site in Nasarawa State, officials expressed shock over reports that workers were allegedly pouring bitumen using watering cans, raising serious concerns about compliance with engineering standards.
The Federal Controller of Works in Nasarawa State, Ishaku Mamri, voiced strong dissatisfaction with the contractor’s handling of the project during a briefing with journalists on Friday.
Mamri said the Federal Ministry of Works had repeatedly issued directives to the contractor regarding proper construction procedures, but those instructions had largely been ignored.
“To be honest, I am disappointed in them,” Mamri said. “When I issue instructions on what they should do, they ignore them and do what they like. This is not a banana republic; the ministry has laid down clear procedures for executing projects, and contractors must follow them.”
He disclosed that the contractor had been summoned to the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja for a formal meeting to address the issues. Although the contractor reportedly gave assurances that work would improve, Mamri said conditions at the site had shown little progress since their return to work.
The Nasarawa State Commissioner for Works, Housing and Transport, Mu’azu Gosho, also raised concerns about the pace of work on the project.
According to him, “The rainy season is fast approaching, and the worst sections of the road remain unattended to,” Gosho said. “Unless urgent action is taken, there is little hope that the situation will improve.”
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Korede Abdullah 