The Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, has again threatened to revoke the sections I-IV Lokoja-Benin, Obajana Junction Benin roads in Kogi and Edo States should the contractors handling the project fail to sign the reviewed contract.

Umahi issued the fresh threat during a meeting with the contractors in his office, in Abuja, yesterday.

The Miniater had in March issued a similar threat during a visit to the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki. He had expressed displeasure over the slow pace of work earlier this year.

Representatives of the contractors messers Mothercat Ltd, CCECC Ltd, Dantat & Sawoe Ltd, CGC Ltd and RCC Ltd attended the latest meeting with the minister in his Abuja office, on Thursday.

The minister also directed staff of his Ministry to, within 7 days , carry out a comprehensive audit of the ongoing projects with a view to knowing the status of work done, the capacity of personnel and equipment being used by the contractors.

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Umahi did not mince words when he expressed displeasure at what he described as the pranks being played by the contractors.

He noted that they were part of the process of re-scoping and reviewing the contract specifications but that they failed to sign the review contract documents after signing that they would do the job based on the new specification.

Umahi said, ”The project was initially N121 billion, but before the administration of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu, the project was already reviewed to about over N870 billion .

“When I came in as Minister, I saw that the project was over-bloated, and I refused to take the No Objection to FEC. I had to go through the road myself, and I realized that some sections of the road could not survive asphalt.

“So we started meetings that took us over five months with all the contractors, and in the meetings, we agreed to re-scope the project. So we re-scoped the project where we said okay, the new lanes should be done on concrete and the other ones done on asphalt.

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“So, we kept the contracts up and we all signed the documents and based on signing the documents, we took it to BPP and from BPP we went to FEC, and before we went to FEC, we demanded for them to approve that they can do the job. They all gave us letters of approval.”

He wondered why contractors were given jobs without having the required manpower and equipment to execute, and warned that henceforth, any contractor signing a contract must sign alongside the basic rate and timeline.

The minister furthersaid, ”The position of the government is that if you are not signing the contracts between today and tomorrow, you will forgo the jobs. You can go to court. We will not enter into any condition for further negotiation.

“This contract is over N2 billion per kilometer. You don’t have equipment to do the work. Let me even assure you that if you are signing the contract, you will sign it alongside the basic rates.

“You sign it alongside the timetable, and you deploy in three sections, or I will terminate the job. Enough of playing with the psyche of the people.”

He declared that the Ministry would not allow any contractor to hold the nation to ransom or to impose their conditions on the Ministry.

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Umahi said, “You don’t want to work, leave the job. It’s not compulsory that you must be the one to do the job. You can not be on site, and the people are dying.

“The vehicles are falling down, and you’re playing politics with the lives of the people. And we fold our hands and leave you for what? You can’t be on site….So if you are not working, pack your things out of that site.”

In his remarks, the Director, Highways (SP) South, Engr. C.A Ogbuagu gave account of the techinical processes undertaken by the Ministry before Federal Executive Council approved the augmentation of the project,
which the contractors accepted, and letters of award were given to them.

He expressed suprise that the contractors refused to sign the new document.

He said, “After the FEC’s approval of the argumentation, the legal department was brought in so that this new contract will now be executed so that work will continue on site. So, for about two weeks now, the draft addendum has been with the contractors, and none of them has positively responded, except RCC.”

In its response, the representative of the CGC said, “for our side, and firstly for our section, and currently we are seriously working. And secondly, we have a sent the draft to the Head Office And there there is any issue, we have answered them and may be later tomorrow morning, we can get the approval from them so we can go ahead.”

The UK on Thursday joined the United States and Canada in announcing a fresh set of sanctions against Iran’s drone and missile industries after its recent attack on Israel.

Tehran launched its first direct military assault on Israeli territory in retaliation for an April 1 air strike — widely blamed on Israel — that killed seven members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Damascus.

Iran’s large-scale attack involved more than 300 drones and missiles, most of which were shot down by Israel and its allies including Washington and London, causing little damage.

The United States and Britain announced widespread sanctions on Iran last week, targeting individuals and companies involved in the Iranian drone industry.

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The Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office said the latest sanctions would target two individuals and four companies closely involved in Iran’s network of drone production.

Trade sanctions against Iran would also be expanded by introducing new bans on the export of components used in its produce of drones and missiles, it added.

“The Iranian regime’s dangerous attack on Israel risked thousands of civilian casualties and wider escalation in the region,” Foreign Secretary David Cameron said in a statement.

“Alongside our partners, we will continue to tighten the net on Iran’s ability to develop and export these deadly weapons.”

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The UK already has over 400 sanctions imposed on Iran, including designations against the  Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in its entirety and many of those responsible for the attack on Israel.

– ‘Facilitating and financing’ –

The US Treasury Department also targeted Iran’s military drone program on Thursday, sanctioning more than a dozen individuals, companies and ships it said played a key role in “facilitating and financing” clandestine sales of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to the country’s defence ministry.

“Iran’s Ministry of Defence continues to destabilise the region and world with its support to Russia’s war in Ukraine, unprecedented attack on Israel, and proliferation of UAVs and other dangerous military hardware to terrorist proxies,” US Treasury undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence Brian Nelson said in a statement.

“The United States, in close coordination with our British and Canadian partners, will continue to use all means available to combat those who would finance Iran’s destabilising activities,” he added.

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Thursday’s joint sanctions come a week after Washington targeted 16 people and two companies involved in Iran’s UAV programme, as well as components for the drones used in the attack against Israel.

The UK government separately targeted seven individuals and six companies for enabling Iran to continue its “destabilising regional activity, including its direct attack on Israel.”

Alongside its sanctions against Iran’s UAV program, the US also targeted five companies providing parts for Iran’s steel industry, and an automaker involved in providing “material support” to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The European Union imposed its own set of sanctions on Iran on Wednesday during a summit in Brussels.

The UK government announced an increase in the general salary threshold by 48 per cent for Nigerian immigrants and other foreigners arriving on a Skilled Work visa.

According to the Home Secretary, James Cleverly, who made the announcement on behalf of the United Kingdom government, the increase jumped from £26,200 to £38,700.

The purpose of the increase for the UK skilled work visa was to cut migration and put British workers first in force.

According to the information on the its website updated on April 4, 2024, the UK businesses are now required to pay overseas workers coming to the UK on a Skilled Worker visa significantly more.

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Cleverly said: “It’s time to turn off the taps and end the flow of cheap workers from abroad.

“Mass migration is unsustainable and it’s simply not fair. It undercuts the wages of hard-working people who are just trying to make ends meet.

“We are refocusing our immigration system to prioritise the brightest and best who have the skills our economy needs, while reducing overall numbers.

“I promised the British people an immigration system that serves their interests, and to bring numbers down – these tough measures deliver on that commitment. Employers must also play their part and put British workers first.”

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The UK listed the conditions attached to the categories of jobs found under the skilled work visa for those seeking to work through the scheme.

For salary requirements, it reads: “You’ll usually need to be paid the ‘standard’ salary rate of at least £38,700 per year, or the ‘going rate’ for your job, whichever is higher.

“Your salary is £39,000 per year, but the annual going rate for the job you’ll be doing is £45,000. You do not meet the usual salary requirements for this visa.

“Each occupation code has its own annual going rate. Check the going rate for your job in the going rates table.”

However, it further states that, “If you work in healthcare or education, there are different salary rules if you work in some healthcare or education jobs, where the going rate is based on national pay scales.”

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“If you do not meet the usual salary requirements, and you do not work in healthcare or education, you might still be eligible if your salary will be at least £30,960 per year,” it added.

Some of the jobs and their codes under the skilled work visa are seen below.

1111 Chief executives and senior officials

1121 Production managers and directors in manufacturing

1122 Production managers and directors in construction

1123 Production managers and directors in mining and energy

1131 Financial managers and directors

1132 Marketing, sales and advertising directors

1133 Public relations and communications directors

1134 Purchasing managers and directors

1135 Charitable organisation managers and directors

1136 Human resource managers and directors

1137 Information technology directors

1139 Functional managers and directors not elsewhere classified

1140 Directors in logistics, warehousing and transport

1150 Managers and directors in retail and wholesale

1162 Senior police officers

Others can be viewed here.