N14bn for 11km Road: ANEEJ demands audit, accountability over Hartland contract

By Joy Baba-Yesufu

The Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ) has called for an independent audit and full disclosure of contract and payment records relating to the Summit Junction–Head Bridge section of the Benin-Asaba-Onitsha road corridor.

The group said the call followed comments by the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, that the Federal Government had paid about N14 billion to Hartland Nigeria Limited for the approximately 11-kilometre stretch, with only about 40 per cent of the agreed work completed.

The Executive Director of ANEEJ and publisher of The Common Good Letter, Rev. David Ugolor, made the demand at a press conference on Monday in Abuja.

Ugolor said the minister’s disclosure raised legitimate questions about the amount paid, work certified and the actual value of infrastructure delivered on the project.

He stressed that ANEEJ was not alleging that the N14 billion had been stolen, but insisted that Nigerians were entitled to know how the funds were committed, certified, paid and accounted for.

Umahi had reportedly directed the ministry’s controller to locate and arrest Hartland’s managing director, while also ordering officials to initiate recovery of funds paid to the contractor, call up the Advance Payment Guarantee (APG) and audit Hartland’s payment records and certificates across its projects.

According to Ugolor, the minister’s directives made it necessary to examine not only the contractor’s performance but the entire chain of contract management and payment approval.

“An arrest is not an audit. An arrest is not a payment reconciliation. An arrest does not establish how money was certified and paid,” he said.

ANEEJ called on the Federal Ministry of Works to publish the original contract, letter of award, contract sum, scope of work, completion period, variation orders and supplementary agreements relating to the project.

The organisation also demanded the release of the project’s payment records, including payment certificates, dates and amounts paid, details of mobilisation and subsequent certifications, as well as information on officials responsible for certifying and approving the payments.

Ugolor questioned the basis for the reported 40 per cent completion figure, asking whether it represented physical completion, financial completion, certified work or measured quantities.