The Nigeria Minister of Works, David Umahi has warned that no project awarded by the Nigeria Government should last more than four years.
Umahi threatened to sanction contractors who fail to complete projects awarded to them within the stipulated time.
This is as he asked some contractors handling some projects in Ebonyi State to adopt the concrete technology to complete the remaining parts of the projects
The Minister stated this in Nguzu Community, Edda Local government area of Ebonyi State, Southeast Nigeria.
He noted that his insistence on “concrete is not cast on stone as asphalt could be used in some roads, especially in the north.”
He however maintained that roads done on concrete would outlive the ones done on asphalt.
He took the team on a tour of one of the longest roads he built as a governor, the Amasiri-Ekoli-Nguzu road which he said was built seven years ago on concrete and is still very solid.
He noted that roads built qualitatively with concrete have a life span of over 50 years.
The Minister stressed that “it is cheaper to build with local content-sourced materials.”
He said; “The contractors are doing very well. We are going to refer one of the contractors who is not on-site to the legal department. We want to know why he is not on site. We will check what he has done against what he has collected.
“This job was awarded since 2012 and it is not palatable. No project should last more than four years. There is need to review the project.”
“Use of concrete is not cast on stone. First is the stability of the road. Like in the north you can do asphalt but that is not to say that concrete cannot be used. If asphalt will last for 10 years, concrete will last for 50 years,” Umahi said.
He said he was going to review all roads having augmentations and vowed to reduce the augmentations if he doesn’t get satisfactory explanations.
“I have directed all the regional directors to work with my team of consultants to review all the projects that are having augmentations.
“It is not a probe but I want to be able to answer your questions why a project that was awarded for say N2bn is now N10bn. I should be able to answer that. I need to know why projects are being reviewed upwards.
“Even though BPP would have approved it, if I feel the augmentation is not necessary I will bring down the cost,” the former governor said.
“I am not against the augmentation, but I want to be able to answer to Mr President, the National Assembly, the masses, the media and defend whatever augmentation that is right”
“It is not a probe, I seek for knowledge. For example, the National Assembly recently met me, they are investigating why the Abuja to Kaduna, Kano, Zaria road which was initially N155bn became N655bn. I partly know why but then I want to fully know why so that I can face them and defend it,” Umahi added.
The Senator Representing Ebonyi North Senatorial Zone, Senator Onyekachi Peter Nwebonyi was also in the team that accompanied the Minister on the Inspection of Some Federal Roads in Ebonyi.
Mercy Chukwudiebere
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