Benue Assembly summons contractor over alleged abandonment of N1.7bn Aper Aku Stadium project

The Benue State House of Assembly has summoned Monimichelle Sports Facility Construction Limited, the company handling the upgrade and renovation of the Aper Aku Stadium, to appear before it on Wednesday, April 2, 2025.

The contractor is expected to justify why the contract should not be terminated and referred to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for fund recovery.

The Assembly’s decision followed a motion by Minority Leader Michael Audu, who accused the contractor of abandoning the project despite receiving ₦1.3 billion out of the ₦1.7 billion contract sum.

Audu lamented that aside from minor upgrades to the dressing rooms and toilets, as well as repainting the stadium, major components like the running track, scoreboards, playing turf, and floodlights remain uninstalled.

He further revealed that the contractor had demanded additional payments running into hundreds of millions of naira, including ₦300 million for clearing synthetic grass from the port before resuming work.

In response, the Assembly ordered the Ministry of Finance to halt further payments and summoned the Finance Commissioner and the Commissioner for Sports, Youth, and Creativity to appear alongside the contractor.

Lawmakers, including Chief Whip Peter Ipusu, Deputy Whip Cephas Dyako, and Majority Leader Saater Tiseer, condemned the contractor’s actions, accusing the company of holding the state to ransom despite receiving substantial funds.