By Igbinosa Rhoda
The Federation of Construction Industry (FOCI) has sounded the alarm over the Federal Government’s increasing wave of contract terminations, cautioning that the move could intensify unemployment and exacerbate insecurity nationwide.
Speaking after the association’s 69th Annual General Meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, FOCI President High Chief Vincent Barrah said many member firms have been operating below capacity due to sudden cancellations of projects.
“Most of our members, as we speak, are not working at full capacity. The ripple effect is massive unemployment, which is not good for the economy and could aggravate what we are experiencing now — the security crisis,” Barrah stated.
He accused the Ministry of Works of first labelling terminations as done “by mutual consent,” then later blaming “poor performance” — reasoning he described as unfair and misleading, especially for contractors with long track records.
Barrah contrasted that with actions by the FCT Minister, who he said has continued awarding and commissioning contracts to FOCI member firms.
He also warned against abrupt policy shifts such as moving from asphalt to concrete roads without adequate preparation. “You cannot just say, ‘stop asphalt today and start concrete tomorrow,’ because the equipment for asphalt roads is completely different from what is used for concrete,” Barrah argued.
Despite the pressure, Barrah reaffirmed FOCI’s commitment to Nigeria’s infrastructural development, urging all arms of government to ensure fairness and transparency in contract handling.