A civil society organisation, The Common Good Letter, has called for an independent investigation and comprehensive audit of the reported N14 billion spent on the rehabilitation of an 11-kilometre section of the Benin–Onitsha road corridor.
The group, led by the Executive Director of the African Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), Rev. David Ugolor, made the demand at a press conference on Monday, September 7, 2026.
The organisation said the call followed revelations concerning the Summit Junction–Head Bridge section of the road, stressing that the issue goes beyond the condition of the highway to concerns about public funds, road safety and government accountability.
The Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, had reportedly disclosed on August 28 that the Federal Government had paid about N14 billion to Hartland Nigeria Limited for the project and reached an agreement with the contractor to complete the approximately 11-kilometre stretch, including channelisation and hydraulic structures.
According to the group, the Minister said only about 40 per cent of the agreed work had been completed.
Following the development, Umahi reportedly directed the ministry’s Controller to locate and arrest the Managing Director of Hartland Nigeria Limited, ordered the activation of the company’s Advance Payment Guarantee and directed an audit of its payment records and certificates for projects handled by the firm.
Reacting to the development, The Common Good Letter asked: “What happened to the N14 billion?”
The organisation clarified that it was not alleging that the funds were stolen, but insisted that Nigerians have a right to know how the money was contracted, certified, disbursed and accounted for.
It demanded answers on the original contract, including its scope, duration, variations and payment arrangements. It also questioned the actual level of work completed, those responsible for certifying the work and whether the physical progress of the project corresponded with the payments made.
The group called for an independent technical assessment by qualified engineers to establish what was contracted, what was delivered and the payments made against certified work.
It also demanded transparency over the Advance Payment Guarantee, including where it was issued, whether it had been formally activated and how much money, if any, had been recovered.
The organisation further urged authorities to establish who supervised and certified the payments, stressing that public funds should only be released after proper verification, certification and approval.
Beyond the N14 billion contract, the group called for a broader investigation into the procurement, contract management and execution of the Benin–Asaba–Onitsha road corridor.
It urged agencies including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) to examine the entire chain of responsibility surrounding the project.
The Common Good Letter said petitions had already been submitted to relevant accountability institutions, including the EFCC, ICPC and Code of Conduct Bureau, seeking clarification of the facts and determination of responsibility where wrongdoing is established.
While welcoming the Minister’s decision to audit Hartland’s records, the group insisted that the exercise must be genuinely independent and should not be reduced to an internal administrative review.
It called for the contract, payment records, certificates and other relevant documents to be subjected to independent scrutiny, maintaining that accountability should not end with the arrest of a contractor or company official.
“We will not stop until accountability is achieved,” the organisation said, pledging to continue pursuing the matter until the facts are established and responsibility determined.
The statement was signed by Rev. David Ugolor, Executive Director of ANEEJ and publisher of The Common Good newspaper.