Works Minister inspects road projects in Rivers, suspends Works Controller
…Says road failure must end
Barth Ndubuwah, Port Harcourt
The Federal Minister of Works, Engr Dave Umahi has assured that Nigerian roads under his watch can never fail again.
The Minister stated this Wednesday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State Capital, while fielding questions from journalists shortly after inspecting Eleme/Onne portion of the East-West Road, Port Harcourt/Aba axis of the Enugu/Port Harcourt Expressway and Bodo/Bonny Road projects.
According to him, there is no reason why “our roads should fail after three years if proper procedures were followed when the roads were constructed.”
Umahi who is also a COREN certified engineer, directed the contractors, comprising CCECC, Julius Berger and RCC Construction Companies to adopt the globally accepted standards in road construction, which he said is concrete based to sustain the existing road network in Nigeria.
The Minister said “the normal procedure is to put subgrade first, sharp sand, then stone base, before exposing the road to truck pounding for 30 days and thereafter apply concrete to the road. This is the only way to solidify the construction work and ensure that the roads last minimum of 10 years before any maintenance issues,” Umahi explained.
He emphasised that it is the duty of the contractors to maintain the roads built by them for at least 10 years after construction, as it is done in other climes. The Minister cited Singapore and Ghana, among others as case study to concrete road construction.
The Minister said all that is needed in the South South and South East is stone or concrete road construction and not Asphalt.
He lamented that it is only in Nigeria where roads fail after three years of construction, vowing to put a stop to such fund consuming venture, which he said is in line with President Bola Tinubu’s ‘Renewed Hope Agenda.’
“Eleme Junction/Onne Road must be reconstructed, the Federal Governnment has released N33billion for the job and the road was designed on concrete. That design must be strictly adhered to,” the Minister said.
The Minister told the contractors that he has suspended the Controller of Works in Port Harcourt for professional misconduct, pointing out that his Deputy has taken over until the matter is addressed.
He urged the contractors to cooperate with him.
At Bodo/Bonny Road site, the Minister lauded the Contractor, Julius Berger Nig. PLC on the extent of work done and urged them to sustain the tempo to ensure that the project is completed in record time.
Intimating the Minister on the extent of work done on the Port Harcourt-Enugu Expressway, especially on Port Harcourt-Aba axis, the General Manager of the Contractor, CCECC, Eric Shen said the 41Km road was awarded in 2016 and that 8-lane of the 9Km Oyigbo-Eleme Junction portion has been completed, leaving 10Km Port Harcourt-Aba axis, which he said was delayed due to shortage of funds.
The Minister ordered them to immediately return to site and complete the project, adding that N18bn has been released for the project.
Umahi said the President Tinubu led administration through his ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ is ready and poised to completing all ongoing projects.
Umahi said he has suspended payment to RCC, the Contractors handling Mbiama axis of the East-West Road, asked them to stop work and report to his office at Abuja for further directives before recommencement of operations.
He said he wonders how a contractor can still be on site working when the area he has finished has already failed.
The Minister equally threatened to sack any civil servant who tries to sabotage or conspire with contractors to frustrate any ongoing road project.
“Civil servants are the problem of this country. They connive with some contractors to blackmail the Federal Governnment. No proper supervision of our road projects. How can contractors be issued with certificate of payment when jobs are not well done?” the Minister queried.
