Nigeria’s Minister of Works, Sen. Nweze David Umahi has frowned at the delay of the 107-kiliometer Enugu-Onitsha road dualisation project handled by RCC Ltd and Nigercat Ltd.
The Special Adviser (Media) to the Minister of Works, Barr. Orji Uchenna Orji made this known on Friday in a statement sent to NewsNGR.
Umahi warned the contractors to brace up for the implementation of the road which is funded by MTN Nigeria Communications under the Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Scheme.
During the meeting which hosted the representatives of the Government of Enugu State and the two contractors, RCC Ltd and Nigercat Ltd, held at the Ministry’s Headquarters, the minister expressed worries that the delay is causing pain to Nigerians.
He said, “The MTN has engaged the subcontractors, two subcontractors, RCC Ltd and Nigercat Ltd. The first time I supervised that project, I discovered that the Nigercat section where we have a binder course had failed. I directed that the binder course must be scarified and reinstated, and I knew it was inherited. I want to believe that it has been done.” He stated, “Let me express my disappointment over the slow pace of work on that project.
“It’s one of the worst roads in this country. Everywhere we have diversion; diverting from the one that RCC and the Nigercat had completed, the contractors are not kind enough to even put stone based on the diversion points. So, by the reason of the launching of our Operation Free our Roads, it is now a violation of policy on the side of the controllers and directors of the Federal Ministry of Works where we have vehicles falling on any project that is ongoing or where there are pot holes on our roads.
The minister said he inspected that road with the Governor of Enugu State and discovered the level of suffering of people at the Abakpa section as a result of road being blocked by RCC.
“I have continued to say that Nigerians should not be suffering while contractors are building roads for our people. It does not happen in any other country, the way it happens in Nigeria. The public must know that the President’s intention is not for them to suffer while trying to fix the roads, and it is their right to insist that contractors should fix the roads that they are engaged on. Most of the time, contractors bring very serious nuisances, hardships, and pains to the public, and they don’t care,” he said.
Umahi warned that contractors delaying jobs are on their own as the federal government would not accept a phased handover.
Umahi said to RCC Ltd, “When where you are working is almost going bad, it’s better to get it finished. As a policy, we are not doing a phased handover. You have to finish your job, and then we inspect it, and if you take 10 years to finish your job, it’s your duty to maintain the one that you have done that is failing.
“We’ve agreed on how to review the projects from Certificate No. 12, and it is the prevailing rates that we’re going to give to you. And so, there will be no VOP when we review the job, and we should all work very hard to see that within two weeks, we get these documents down to BPP and see if we can take it to FEC this month.” He, however, noted that the slow pace in the progress of work on the Enugu – Onitsha road dualization does not lie in funding but in the execution by the contractors.
He disclosed that the Enugu State Government has resolved to fund the construction of 20km Abakpa junction to Akama (9th Mile) section of Enugu – Onitsha road on rigid pavement.
The construction of a flyover bridge at Abakpa junction is to be refunded through MTN Tax Credit, he said.
He added, “Why Enugu State government is intervening is because of the slow pace of work by the contractors and because of funding issues. The essence of tax credit is for funds to be made available. And so, I don’t see RCC going to keep to their promise to finish this project in 6 months.
“My advice to MTN is to look for another contractor within that axis if they want to get the job done. Division of labour is even the best. While they are doing the road, and if Nigercat is doing a good job, you can give them greater scope to do if you want to finish that job.”