FG Revokes CCECC’s Port Harcourt–Aba Road Contract Over Poor Performance, Threatens Arrest of Chinese Staff

The Federal Government has decisively terminated the contract for the 43-kilometre Port Harcourt–Aba-bound section of the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway, citing egregious poor performance by the contractor, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC).

Minister of Works, David Umahi, announced the termination on Sunday following a project inspection, expressing outrage over the imminent failure of a road segment for which the government has paid significant public funds.

“Today is the 19th of October, the Controller reported to me that the Aba-bound section of Port Harcourt-Aba Road being constructed by CCECC is at the verge of total collapse,” Umahi disclosed to newsmen.

The Minister’s primary frustration stemmed from the contractor’s persistent refusal to adhere to engineering standards, specifically the practice of laying a binder course for a stretch of over 30 kilometres without immediately placing the crucial wearing course and building the shoulder. Umahi revealed that CCECC had ignored more than 20 formal warnings from the Ministry, leading to the collapse of completed sections near the Port Harcourt end of the road.

“The Port Harcourt-bound is discontinued; no longer going to be done by CCECC,” Umahi declared, stating that the Ministry will immediately scout for a “very qualified indigenous contractor” to assume responsibility for the job.

In a strong warning delivered to the firm, the Minister gave CCECC a 14-day ultimatum to remove the failed binder course on the project, which the government has already paid for, and replace it properly at the company’s own expense.

He threatened that if CCECC fails to initiate the corrective work within the stipulated period, he would return and ensure the arrest of the Chinese personnel on the project, further threatening to shut down all of the company’s projects nationwide.

This termination marks another firm action by the Ministry of Works to enforce quality and timely delivery of infrastructure projects across the country.