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FG Saves N640bn by Switching Abuja-Kano Road Project to Concrete – Umahi
By Gloria Ikibah
The Federal Government has said that it will save over N640 billion by switching from asphalt to concrete for the construction of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano road.
Minister of Works, Engr. Dave Umahi, revealed this during a session with the Adhoc Committee monitoring the Anuja-Kano road project, chaired by Hon. Aminu Jaji.
Umahi disclosed that the contract, initially awarded to Julius Berger Nigeria was terminated due to alleged unethical practices and failure to meet project terms.
“By my engagement and approach, I saved the nation N640 billion from Julius Berger. If we had accepted their demand of N1.5 trillion, we would have incurred unnecessary costs. Now, we are saving the country over N640 billion while improving the road’s architecture,” Umahi said.
The letter of termination, issued on November 21 by the Ministry of Works’ Director of Legal Services, C.O Assam, cited Julius Berger’s alleged uncooperative behavior, repeated delays, and refusal to complete the project within the agreed 14 months.
The Minister insisted that the decision was within the Ministry’s rights and followed due process.
“The problem with Julius Berger is not just about cost. They refused conditions for timely completion and set booby traps for us. Despite 14 months of negotiations, we could not reach an agreement,” he added.
Umahi also stressed that the decision to use concrete, his preferred method, would ensure durability, lower costs, and faster completion.
“We are also incorporating additional features like solar lights and CCTV into the road project,” he noted.
The Adhoc Committee questioned whether terminating the contract and re-awarding it for concrete construction would be cost-effective.
A committee members, Rep. Idris Wase, demanded detailed documents on the project, including the contract agreement, payment records, and work progress.
“If certificates were raised, what was their value, and what percentage of work was completed? These are details we need to guide our decisions,” Wase said.
The Committee Chairman, Rep. Aminu Jaji also noted discrepancies in cost figures presented by the Ministry and Julius Berger, emphasizing the Committee’s commitment to ensuring transparency and accountability.
In an earlier meeting, Julius Berger blamed delays on funding challenges, government policy shifts, and insecurity.
The company’s representative, Mr. Benjamin Bott, stated that insecurity, including a bomb blast in Kaduna, kept workers off-site for 11 months.
Bott also revealed that work stalled when the government proposed switching to concrete after initial plans for asphalt. Julius Berger claimed the Federal Government owed them substantial sums, further hampering progress.
But the Ministry of Works maintains that re-awarding the contract for concrete construction will be more cost-effective and beneficial for the nation.
Julius Berger has been directed to submit all documents related to the contract for further review.
Chairman Jaji reassured stakeholders, and said “Our mandate is to ensure the project is completed in the best interest of the country.”
President Bola Tinubu has formally written to the Senate, seeking approval for a $516.3 million foreign syndicated loan to support the construction of the Sokoto–Badagry highway.
In a communication read by the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, on Thursday, President Tinubu requested a resolution in line with Sections 16 and 21 of the Debt Management Office (Establishment) Act, 2011, to enable the Federal Government to secure the financing for Sections 1, Phase 1A, and 1B of the project. The loan facility is to be arranged through Deutsche Bank AG.
President Tinubu explained that the superhighway project is a flagship initiative under his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, designed to enhance national connectivity, reduce travel time, and improve the movement of goods across key economic corridors.
The proposed 1,000-kilometre road will link Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, Oyo, Ogun, and Lagos states, connecting Illela to Badagry.
He noted that the financing arrangement will be backed by a partial risk guarantee from the Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC), while the Federal Government will provide counterpart funding of over 265 billion naira for land acquisition, compensation, and related infrastructure.
According to the president, the loan is structured for nine years, including a three-year grace period, with an interest rate pegged at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange SOFR plus 5.3 per cent per annum. The Federal Executive Council has already approved the financing plan.
Following the presentation of the request at plenary, Akpabio referred the matter to the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts, directing it to report back within one week.
Endorsing the move, the Senate President said that it is better to borrow for projects to improve road safety and foster national integration.
Chairman of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), FCT chapter, Comrade Abdullahi Shafa, speaking after the meeting of the union leaders with the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, today.
He hailed the FCT minister for his quick intervention.
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Court, arraigns four suspects, remands them in DSS custody, over Plateau killings, adjourns case till April 30
A Plateau State High Court on Thursday remanded four suspects in Department of State Services (DSS) custody over the March 2026 killings in Angwa Rukuba Community, Jos North LGA, and adjourned the case till April 30, 2026, for arraignment.
The arraignment of the suspects was not fully carried out due to the absence of defence counsels. They were arraigned in connection to the tragic killings of Angwan Rukuba community which occurred on March 28 and left no fewer than 30 persons dead including women and children.
The four suspects who were arraigned in Court in Jos on Thursday included Isa Umar Ibrahim, Auwalu Abubakar, also known as Auwalu Dogo, Musa Abubakar Ibrahim, also known as Yaroro, and others were alleged to have conspired to carry out the deadly attack.
The Plateau State Government had filed the charges against the suspects over the March 2026 killings in Angwa Rukuba, Jos North Local Government Area.
The government said the suspects were arrested by the Department of State Services between April 3 and April 10, 2026, and have now been charged with offences including criminal conspiracy to commit terrorism and other related offences.
According to the charge filed by the State Attorney General, Philemon Daffi, the defendants acted “contrary to Section 269 and punishable under Section 270 of the Penal Code Law of Plateau State, 2017.”
The charge stated, “That you… did conspire amongst yourselves to commit offences relating to terrorism when you planned, organised, facilitated, aided, and contributed money to carry out the attack in Angwan Rukuba… which led to the death of over thirty (30) people.”
When the case resumed on Thursday at Court 12 of the Plateau State High Court in Jos for arraignment, all the suspects who spoke through an interpreter sought for an adjournment to enable them to contact their counsels to represent them.
The prosecution counsel and Solicitor General of Plateau State, Joel Tagven, didn’t raise any objection to the defendant’s prayer to adjourn the matter.
He, however, appealed to the court for the suspects to be remanded in DSS custody pending the next adjourned case.
His plea was granted.
“Ordinarily, the matter is suppose to come up today but in view of the request of the accused demanding for lawyers, we can adjourn the case to enable them get lawyers of their choice. I also appeal that the suspected be remanded in DSS custody for easy access and continuation of investigation,” the Prosecution counsel said.
The presiding judge, Justice Gidelia FomYom, adjourned the case till 30th April 2026 for the arraignment of the suspects.
The suspects were immediately moved out of the court in a bus to the DSS facility.
In an interview with journalists, the Solicitor General of Plateau state appreciated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for providing the state with the enabling environment to prosecute the suspects in accordance with the law.
“We appreciate Mr. President for giving a marching order. And in fact, we appreciate him for four reasons. One, for giving the marching order whereupon the DSS made efforts which yielded to the arrest of these ones. Number two, the situation when met in the state over the years has been that prosecutions are not being done here in the state. The suspects are usually taken to Abuja and not prosecuted here.
“But today they’ve permitted us to prosecute them here. That is why we were arraigning them in court in the state here. And number three, you recall that when Mr. President came, he pledged or made an order that security materials, like the CCTV cameras and the like will be given to the state for purpose of security issues, and that will go a long way in helping to secure the state, and again, The issue of prosecuting them here, that’s another one.”
“This wasn’t the practice, but we give God the glory that this is now happening here, and it’s something to appreciate, Mr. President and the governor and even the Department of State Security for this collaboration and support to enable us have this matter prosecuted in the state,” the Solicitor General stated.
Tinubu wants Senate’s approval of $516m fresh loan for Sokoto–Badagry Highway
FCT Teachers Strike: NUT Hails Wike Over Intervention In Education Sector(Video)
Court, arraigns four suspects, remands them in DSS custody, over Plateau killings, adjourns case till April 30
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