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General News

FG tasks contractors to ensure quality works

By Olaide Ayinde

The Minister of Works, Sen. Dave Umahi has urged contractors handling Federal Government’s projects to ensure quality work to fast track sustainable infrastructure development in the country.

Umahi stated this during an inspection of the failed sections of Kano-Maiduguri expressway, on Thursday in Azare, Bauchi State.

He said the federal government would redesigned the project to provide quality and durable road.

“We will redesign the project, and work will start immediately,

“We will provide five relief culverts and put retaining walls on both sides with an 8 inch concrete and nothing will happen when we finish it,” he said.

The minister lamented that the stone base used on the road was not good, warning that the ministry would not condone poor work by contractors.

“No contractor is allowed to do bad work for the federal government. We will not accept bad work.

“The ministry of works should be very careful in the supervision of work,” he said.

Umahi inspects Kano-Maiduguri expressway cut-off by flood in Azare, Bauchi State

According to Umahi, the federal government is terminating contract for the Section 1 of the Kano-Maiduguri expressway between Kano and Dutse.

The project, he said, has been awarded in the last 17 years without completion.

Umahi further said that President Bola Tinubu directed him to inspect failed sections of the road cut-off by flood in Bauchi and Jigawa.

“We are here to make sure that the roads are completely rehabilitated, and we have brought new designs that will tackle the problems once and for all.

“The president is very committed to solving most of the plight of the people, especially as regards to roads because he knows the economic importance of the roads to the economic growth in the country, especially in the Northeast,” he said.

He commended Gov. Bala Mohammed for the palliative work on the road, designed to provide access road and ease movement of goods and services.

Bauchi

Umahi inspects Kano-Bauchi road cut-off by flood in Balbaldu, Jigawa

Also speaking, Mohammed lauded President Tinubu for the prompt intervention to repair the roads.

The governor pledged continued support to the federal government’s policies and programmes.

On his part, Mr Bashir Adamu, the Federal Controller of Works, Bauchi State, said the flood cut-off sections of the roads in different locations of the Kano-Maidiguri expressway.

He listed the affected sections to include Jama’are-Azare; Azare-Shira-Yana, Azare-Misau, and Bauchi-Ningi-Babaldu.

“The contractor Messrs Mothercat Nigeria Ltd, who constructed the road initially and handed over on Aug. 18, 2023, who happened to be in Azare town has already provided accesss road on one lane.

“The road is memorable and open to traffic,” he said. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Rabiu Sani-Ali

General News

Funds released for second Niger bridge bypasses, others—Umahi

By Perpetua Onuegbu

The Minister of Works, Sen. David Umahi, says President Bola Tinubu has approved funds for the construction of the Second Niger Bridge Bypasses, Lagos-Ibadan highway and the Lafia Bypass.

Umahi said this on Thursday in Makurdi, during the inspection of the Lafia Bypass Road and dualisation of 9th Mile, Enugu-Otukpo-Makurdi Road Project.

The minister, who had earlier inspected the Mararaba-Keffi road expressed joy that Tinubu had released funds for the completion of the projects.

“This one is 260 kilometres and it is 229 kilo metre completed, some sections are not good and I have directed them to go back and work on the first five kilometres, but the rest are beautiful.

“I want to thank Mr President, who about three days ago, approved that work should immediately commence in many sections of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano road.

“We were having some problems of funding but the president has solved the problem and directed for immediate release of funds so that the roads construction will continue.

“The same thing with the Lagos-Ibadan highway and the second Niger bridge two bypasses”, he said.

Umahi, however, said he would have preferred for the roads to be done cement concrete though they are being constructed with asphalt.

He commended the Benue and Enugu state governors for their efforts in ensuring that contractors worked seamlessly on the routes by providing security task force for their protection.

He assured that everything both governors asked for concerning the roads would be granted.

“The flyover you are requesting for, we are going to incorporate it. If you are building a road and the people are being inconvenienced or we finished it and it does not solve the problems, we have done nothing.

“So that flyover is very critical and it is very good that we are here. We have to do that because of the passion for your people and the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr President.

“From the beginning of the road to here, it must be done on concrete. So anywhere we have bad terrain we will scope it for concrete.

“We will put the middle of the divide of the two carriageway at the middle of the existing route.

“So, we will minimise a lot of compensation. I will like to thank you and the Enugu State governor for setting up a taskforce to assist them in terms of security and other things.’’, he said.

He said the project was been financed by China Exim Bank, so the money was available and the project was in dollar, so it would not vary that much.

Reacting, Gov. Hyacinth Alia, who joined the minister in the inspection, said he was grateful to Tinubu for making the dream of the people of Benue come true.

“We are very grateful to God for giving us this opportunity. We have always prayed for a new Benue of our dream where anything we touched get a magnet efficiency, effectiveness and done.

“We are pleased that you are beginning the second phase of the Abuja-Keffi-Lafia 9th Mile Road. We are very excited that you have already incorporated the prayers we presented to you.

“We thank Mr President for his thoughtfulness and good heart for the common masses. He is someone who does not want to see people suffer.

“Formerly a journey from Abuja to Makurdi, is four and half hours but with this new road, it will takes us three hours.

“It is going to help our business and help us to plan ahead on plying on the route’’, he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 260 kilo metres project cuts across the Federal Capital Territory to Nasarawa, Benue and Enugu states.

It is jointly funded by the Export-Import Bank of Nigeria 85 per cent and 15 per cent by the Federal Government.

The project, which is being handled by China Harbour Nigeria Limited, is expected to be delivered in 48 months. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Deborah Coker/Uche Anunne

Sen. Dave Umahi, Minister of Works
General News

Umahi issues 14 days ultimatum to contractors to return to site

 

By Perpetua Onuegbu

The Minister of Works, Sen. David Umahi, has given contractors constructing federal highways 14 days to mobilise their personnel and equipment back to site or risk lossing their contracts.

 

The minister gave this warning during a meeting with all contractors handling federal roads on Wednesday in Abuja.

 

He warned that any contractor who fails to comply with the directive and meet up with the deadline would be kicked out and replaced with other contractors.

 

Umahi also told the contractors to desist from frustrating the plan of government to move on with the plan to use concrete technology rather than asphalt.

 

Stressing the need for concrete roads, he said Mr President did a concrete road in Lagos.

 

“He reminded me about this yesterday. I believe Nigerians will support us on the fact that when you do this asphalt there should be a guarantee on it.

 

“We have discussed the construction equipment and  directed that at least every 30 kilometres, there should be minimum of equipment of eight dossier.

 

“Two graders, four excavators, 20 trailers and other construction equipment in line with active site works operations. Nigerians should have one road that is very good,” Umahi said.

 

He added that ongoing plan to use concrete cannot be stopped unless he is removed from the office as a minister.

 

He vowed to clampdown on contractors cheating the Federal Government and Nigerians on the thickness of asphalt, denying them value for money.

 

“You contractors cheat us on the thickness of asphalt. The bitumen imported are of bad quality and then you start putting enhancer and modifier. We do not want that again, there is no such thing overseas. Use the type of asphalt used abroad.

 

“I believe I have called enough meetings on this issue and we must move forward. Let me advise contractors that are meeting and have ganged up. We have learnt that some of you want to sabotage me to prove that concrete is not good.

 

“That is a lie, concrete is very good. Go to Lagos sea port and see what the contractor is doing. Go to my state to see what I did. The roads are still there and very good on concrete.

 

“It is not useful to you because there is no meeting that wil make us back down on the principles and policy of the Ministry of Works. This policy has been set in motion and will only stop if I am removed from office by Mr President.

 

“Even this morning, the directors met and increased the price and I accepted it. The price is only for Trunk A. Trunk B and C will not enjoy that price because it is going to be on a different design,” he said.

 

He therefore urged contractors to stop harassing him with the price quotations saying that the Federal Government had set the price and would not go back on it.

 

The minister who accused some contractors of sabotaging his efforts to prove that concrete roads is bad to justify asphalt, further directed that any contractor with four projects would no longer be eligible to bid for any advertised jobs.

 

“Henceforth, any company that has four projects with the ministry of works will not get another project until it finishes the one awarded. Mr President just approved 60 projects and we will start the designing and the profiling.

 

“So if you can finish your jobs quickly, you will be part of the bidding but if you cannot finish your job, you cannot bid and we would not differentiate between expatriate and local contractors.

 

“The house must submit to the new policy of the Federal Ministry of Works,” he said.

 

Speaking further, the minister said asphalt roads would enjoy only five per cent variations.

 

“Also, let me announce that we are going to deploy strict measures. Every contractor going back to the site must give us a programme of work.

 

“The ministry would not process your certificate without a programme of work. Contractors that want variation of price must prove what basis led to an increase in contract quantity. Without these steps, there is no payment.

 

“Condition number two for the use of asphalt is the five per cent variation on price and if you have exhausted your 5 per cent already, You cannot enjoy another five per cent.

 

“Inflation on asphalt work is on geometric progression. Price is increasing every day and there is no money to pay for these increases,” Umahi said.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Julius Toba-Jegede

Sen. Dave Umahi, Minister of Works
General News

Umahi seeks N217bn to fund 260 roads, 8 bridges

 

F

By Perpetua Onuegbu

The Minister of Works Sen. David Umahi says that the ministry needs a total of N217bn to reconstruct 260 road projects and eight bridges across the country.

The minister disclosed this while inaugurating four road project committees on Thursday in Abuja.

He said the committees were being inaugurated not just to maintain the road but also to ensure that contractors implement the contracts signed.

The task force committees are to monitor the reconstruction of Benin-Warri Dual Carriageway (Section I, II and III) and dualisation of East-West road Section III:Port Harcourt (ElemeJunction) Oone Port Junction road in Rivers.

“The directors in this ministry met and we agreed to constitute a taskforce that will be resident in these locations for efficient supervision.

“They will redesign the roads to meet the site situations and article two of the contract we signed that under section 51 of General Conditions of contract gives us the permission and legal right to redefine the projects.

“Which means we can rescope the projects and quality,  we are leveraging on that to save our people from the hardship. We will use one foot thick concrete to rebuild the road. We are already working on the bills to redefine it,” the minister said.

Umahi said the Federal Government is giving serious attention to the roads between Benin and Warri and the road between Eleme and zonne Port.

“Let me graciously announce that the ministry contacted Mr President on 260 projects that need very immediate and quick intervention across the federation.

“The projects are from the motions of the National Assembly, outcry of the public and compilations from controllers of our states and the total cost is N217 billion.

“We have sent it to Mr President and the National Assembly is aware and he has directed that we submit at FEC for discussions,” he said.

He added that the roads are key factors for the revolution of the nation’s commerce, education, security and power and that President Tinubu is committed to the nation’s road infrastructure.

Still on approval of funds, the former Ebonyi  governor said the president had approved funds for the rehabilitation of the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos.

The minister decried the failures of several parts on the East West Road saying, “Last week, we had a lot of failures on our East West Road between Warri and Cross Rivers.

“We had 12 points that totally collapsed and if we have another flood, the entire section may collapse. Three bridges totally collapsed and we have to reconstruct all of those roads.

“I will also announce that Mr President has not only approved but released money for immediate attention of these 12 points and three bridges that collapsed on our East-West roads between Warri and Cross Rivers.

“Also reconstruction of Shendam-Lafia bridge and Enugu bridge that collapsed a week ago and the president has released money for the reconstruction of those two bridges.

“The projects are being worked upon so that we can allay the fears of our people. These are life-threatening emergencies and we must move very fast to begin on all those roads,” he said.

The minister recalled that his team spent 14 hours traveling from Abuja to Benin “and that wasn’t palatable.” He therefore called for the diversion of the road from Benin city.

“I have spoken to the governor of Edo and we need to divert the highway and that can be done even if it is one lane.

“We also identified four sections between Benin and Warri and the situation is so terrible. We witnessed five kilometres of continuous trucks that parked and we could not find it easy to pass.”

He said the reconstruction has a time line of 18 months, adding that the Nigerian Union Journalists (NUJ) would be part of the monitoring to ensure transparency and good reportage of the projects as part of the new policy of the administration.

“Let me also advise our contractors that no new project under my leadership will be done asphalt. We are doing all our projects on concrete. Let it be known that it is our policy.

“Any contractor that can’t cope, it is not compulsory. On ongoing projects, if you have done 80 per cent, we expect the contractors to complete it without asking for increment.

“All ongoing projects have N6 trillion funding gap and we cannot increase our projects. We will not do any variation of price on asphalt any longer,” he added.

Umahi said no contractor is compelled to continue with their projects saying they have the right to terminate such contracts if  no longer convenient for them.

He said that the Nigerian masses deserve sustainability and integrity of the roads constructed for their daily use.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Julius Toba-Jegede

General News

Umahi congratulates ex- Gov. Elechi@ 80

By Chukwuemeka Opara

Gov. David Umahi of Ebonyi on Sunday congratulated his predecessor, Chief Martin Elechi on his 80th birthday.

Umahi in a congratulatory message he personally signed, described Elechi as a sage and pathfinder.

“My family and I celebrate your legacies and hold you in high esteem.

“You remain a precious jewelry in the political history of our dear state,” he said.

He wished Elechi the best in life and greetings from the government and people of the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Umahi served as the acting, later substantive state chairman of Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) as well as deputy governor of Elechi during his tenure as the state governor.

Umahi, however, severed relationship with Elechi in 2014 after failing to secure his support to succeed him in office.

He later emerged as Elechi’s successor in 2015.

The former governor defected from PDP to APC only to be joined by Umahi in November 2020. (NAN)