President Tinubu Determined to Complete Critical Road Projects – Minister

Timothy Choji, Abuja

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Nigeria’s Minister of Works, Mr David Umahi, says President Bola Tinubu is determined to complete some road projects inherited by the current administration.

Speaking to State House correspondents at the end of Wednesday’s meeting of the Federal Executive Council, the Minister said roads like Sagamu-Ore-Benin and Abuja-Kano, among others, have been earmarked for completion to enable Nigerians to travel with ease.

“Let me just clarify a few things by way of announcement because there have been a lot of questions seeking information on a number of critical routes. 

“I’m not going to go through all, but just to let the press know that the Sagamu-Ore-Benin Road is undergoing serious rehabilitation now. And besides that, we are also doing procurement, for the proper reconstruction using reinforced concrete pavement,” he said.

Umahi, however, said the government has given a seven-day ultimatum to one of the construction companies to brace up or get its contract terminated.

“And on the Abuja-Kano, which we inherited, the President indicated that he doesn’t want tax credit. He’s respecting the previous tax credit that we inherited from the past administration, but we don’t want to do tax credit again in his own administration. 

“So, the sections one and the three that we earlier earmarked for tax credit are now going to be procured. But the council had earlier on approved the Berger section, which is 162 kilometres for N740 billion. 

“Now we have not heard it so good rough with Berger because we’ve been negotiating with them since September 2023, but yesterday we said this negotiation must come to a stop, and so giving them seven days, if after seven days, they don’t accept our offer, which is the highest so far in the country then, we have no any other option than to issue them 14 days termination notice in accordance with the contract law,” the works minister explained.

Also Read: Nigerian Government Approves N820bn For Completion Of Road Rehabilitation 

Mr Umahi also gave an insight into the completion of work on the Sokoto-Badagry road linking Sokoto and Lagos States.

“And the Sokoto-Badagry, let me announce that the President had directed immediate starting of the construction of the Sokoto section, which we are going to flag off the construction tomorrow afternoon, by 2pm and then Kebbi, 11am on Friday. 

“Again, there are a lot of issues on Oyo-Ogbomoso. Let me say that some of these projects have lasted for 18 years. They are all inherited projects so we are going to do repairs on the Ogbomosho, and we are also doing a procurement process. The same work is ongoing on Makurdi to 9th mile, the same thing with Kasina Ala-Cross River and Makurdi,” he added.

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