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The Federal Government has terminated the contract awarded to the China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC) for the rehabilitation of the Port Harcourt–Aba Road, a decision that has stirred political discussions following Governor Alex Otti’s recent warning against any form of manipulation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, announced the decision while issuing a 14-day termination notice to CCECC Nigeria Limited over what he described as poor construction methodology and substandard performance on the Aba-bound section of the Enugu–Port Harcourt Expressway.
According to a statement by the Special Adviser (Media) to the Minister, Orji Orji, the minister strongly criticised the construction approach used by CCECC, saying the 43-kilometre stretch of the project was already on the verge of collapse.
The statement noted, “Umahi directed that a 14-day notice of termination be issued to the contractor, having regard to the various warning letters issued to the contractor over their poor construction performance on the said job.”
The minister also directed that the Port Harcourt-bound section of the project be descoped and re-awarded to a more competent indigenous contractor, stressing that “putting a binder on for a stretch of the project without putting it on is unacceptable.”
During a routine inspection of road projects across the South-South and South-East regions on Sunday, October 19, 2025, Umahi expressed disappointment over the contractor’s failure to comply with the new construction codes and standards introduced to ensure durable road infrastructure nationwide.
Umahi said, “If you get to the Port Harcourt end, which they did about two years or thereabouts, the entire road has almost totally failed. We have been writing them to maintain this road. They have refused, and so I have to take responsibility and make a decision.
Number one, the Port Harcourt bound is descoped and no longer going to be done by CCECC. I will direct the Ministry of Works to scout out for very qualified indigenous contractors to handle the Port Harcourt bound.
They should be the contractor that will start work immediately while we sort out funds for them. Number two, for the site handled by CCECC, they should issue them 14 days’ notice of termination of the job. And I want this directive to go very wide.
“After 14 days, if they fail to mill out the binder and replace it properly, the job will be terminated; they have to initiate it; they have to commit to doing that.
Even if they are going to do it during the dry season, they have to maintain the ones that they have done, and they put in writing that they’re going to mill out the binder at their own cost and then be able to put in a new binder, which we have paid for.”
Meanwhile, Umahi commended the progress of another section of the same expressway handled by Arab Contractors O.A.O. Nigeria Limited, noting that the project had reached 85 per cent completion and was among the most satisfactory ongoing road projects in the South-East.
He said, “The 56 km inherited ongoing project was noted to have reached 85 per cent completion. They are some of our best, the first five. Even we want them to maintain from Aba to Umuahia, the completed section.
So, they are working very hard. The controller is also doing very well. I wish the controller to visit all the projects of the Federal Government in Abia State. He should be able to visit all the projects in Abia State at least once a week so that if there is a problem of impending danger or an impending problem of cost, you let us know.”
The Federal Ministry of Works has maintained that the termination process is based solely on performance issues and the need to uphold new federal construction standards.
However, the timing of the announcement has drawn reactions in political circles, especially after Governor Otti’s recent comments cautioning against any attempts to use federal projects as tools for political manipulation ahead of the 2027 elections.
