Minister Slams Contractors Over Abandoned Federal Housing Project in Yobe

From Muhammad Maitela, Damaturu

The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Dr. Muttaqha Rabe Darma, has expressed outrage over the slow pace of work on a Renewed Hope Estate housing project in Yobe State, threatening to terminate the contracts of non-performing contractors.

Dr. Darma made the remarks during an on-site inspection of the project in Damaturu, where he discovered that the housing estate, awarded in 2024 with a four-month completion deadline, is only about 40 percent completed after two years.

Describing the situation as “pathetic,” the minister said the delay was unacceptable and warned that the ministry would no longer tolerate poor performance from contractors.

“This cannot be tolerated. What I am trying to say is that it will no longer be business as usual in this ministry, as far as I am concerned,” he said.

According to the minister, the contracts for the housing units were awarded in 2024, with contractors expected to complete and hand over the project within four months, as stipulated in their agreements.

“But from what we have seen, the project is only about 40 percent completed. It is pathetic,” he added.

He, however, lamented that the housing units had not attracted subscriptions due to the delay in execution.

The minister nsisting that contractors must follow due process.

“You see, he told me the same thing. But I told him that, as a responsible contractor, you are expected to honour your contractual agreement,” he said.

“If you signed an agreement stating that you would complete the work within four months, then you are expected to deliver within that period.”

He added that contractors facing funding challenges should formally apply for an extension of time instead of abandoning the project.

“If you fail to request an extension and later come up with the excuse that there was no money, then, to me, that is not valid,” the minister stated.

He explained that contractors could also request an addendum to their agreements, indicating that project completion would depend on regular fund inflows.

The minister further disclosed that the entire project is valued at over N5 billion, describing it as taxpayers’ money that must be judiciously utilised.

“This is over N5 billion belonging to Nigerian taxpayers, the money of ordinary Nigerians. And someone simply abandoned the work because of a flimsy excuse that there was no money,” he said.

Dr. Darma also expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of road already completed on the site.

“But overall, I am not satisfied with the project at all. The only aspect completed is the road, and even that falls below expectation,” he said.