Fashola Meets Stakeholders On Rehabilitation Of Eko Bridge, Burnt Section At Apongbon, Other Brigdes, Seeks Cooperation Of All Commutters ...Says the rehabilitation of the Bridge is part of ongoing rehabilitation works on bridges across the country neglected over the years ....AMATO, transport companies, Apapa Local Government officials and traffic regulatory agencies also in attendance ....Reiterates directive for the evacuation by traders, other businesses from under bridges in Lagos, other parts of the country by June 9 The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN, on Monday in Lagos briefed transportation stakeholders on the ongoing rehabilitation works on bridges nationwide including Eko Bridge and the recently burnt section at Apongbon with an appeal to commuters for cooperation as the Federal Government provide solutions to the vital road transport infrastructure neglected over the years.  Addressing a Town Hall Meeting of the Stakeholders including representatives of Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO), transport companies, Apapa Local Government officials and traffic regulatory agencies held at the Conference Room of the Ministry’s Central Workshop in Ijora, on comprehensive repair of the bridge, and others across the country, Fashola explained that the repairs on Eko Bridge had become expedient as several portions of the bridge had become worn out due to years of neglect. Fashola, who had earlier gone round to see the situation under some bridges in Lagos Island, including Oja Oba/ Third Mainland Bridge/Ring Road, Obalende under Bridge and Apongbon under Bridge incuding the burnt section, where he sensitized traders, artisans and other squatters on the dangers and risks to life that their operations constitute, also extended the evacuation ultimatum to the squatters till June 9, warning that they either comply voluntarily or face forced eviction. At the meeting also attended by top officials of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, the Permanent Secretaries of the Lagos State Ministries of Environment, Transportation and Office of Infrastructure, alongside their Directors, at Ijora-Olopa, in Lagos, the Minister said the government was tackling the problem holistically, and needed support of stakeholders for smooth operations. Soliciting for the support of the Lagos State Ministries of Environment, Transportation and Office of Infrastructure, as well as the Local Governments, to help create awareness among the people over the roles to be played by all stakeholders during rehabilitation works, Fashola added, “We know the problem, we know the solution, we have a plan but we need your support”. The Minister also appealed to the transportation Stakeholders to encourage their members to build truck parks, urging them also not to always resort to “subtle threats or blackmail” each time issues of their members parking in the wrong places was pointed out to them. Fashola said that the colossal damage to the Apongbon section of the Eko Bridge was being addressed by the contractors on the project. Speaking with some of the business owners under the bridges, Fashola said government was giving them one month to relocate their businesses from under the bridges, saying that what happened at Apongbon section of Eko Bridge was an eye opener and government would not want a repeat of the incident. “We are building new bridges and maintaining some old ones so it will not be right to continue to allow you people to do business here as usual. Your businesses here constitute a threat and government wants you people to leave”, the Minister said assuring commuters on Eko Bridge that Government was working hard to mitigate their inconveniences while the rehabilitation work lasts. Recalling that Eko Bridge was built in 1975 and noting that it serves as a a strategic link between the Island and Mainland areas of Lagos, Fashola, who said emergency repair work has already commenced on the Bridge including the damaged section, cited its strategic importance to Lagosians as reason for the expediency. On the burnt section of Eko Bridge at Apongbon , the Minister, pointed out that the repair work needs planning, adding, “I have instructed the Ministry’s Engineers to carry out comprehensive assessment of repairs we need to carry out to know what it will cost government”. He explained that the cost was not in the 2022 Budget “because nobody planned for it”, but added, “So, we have to navigate and overcome the problem”. Earlier, while delivering his welcome address, the Director of Highway Bridges and Design Engr. Oluropo Oyetade, said Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing was supervising 1732 bridges across Nigeria adding that Lagos State, with105, ranked fourth after Taraba, Niger, and Cross River. He said out of that number, government has intervened in 23, with 10 completed, 11 ongoing and new contracts awarded for Carter and Iganmu Bridges in the 2022 Budget. According to the Director, the first phase of the emergency repair of Eko Bridge was carried out in June 2020, during which another set of defects were noticed adding that this led to another contract award for Phase II in September 2020 during which more defects were detected, adding, “The Honourable Minister then directed for a holistic review of the whole bridge. This took all Directors of Highways months to accomplish and culminated in award of Comprehensive Maintenance of Eko Bridge in February 2022”. In his own remarks, the State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who was represented at the event by the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Transportation, Mr. Olowoshago Kamal, promised collaboration with the Federal Government for speedy completion of the rehabilitation works. While expressing concern on how to evict traders in a popular fish market and truck drivers who have occupied the under bridges, Chairperson of Apapa Local Government, Mrs. Idowu Shobanjo, said that the traders and the truck operators were insisting on remaining under the bridges and on roads adding that they anchored their insistence on alleged promises the State government made to them.  Several business activities including mechanic workshops, ram market, welder workshops, selling of other various commodities were going on as at the time the Minister and his team visited the under bridges. ...

FG To Finance Numan Jalingo Rd with N3bn Sukuk Fund –Sambo ………Says people of Taraba are happy with FG internal road works in Jalingo The Honourable Minister of State for Works and Housing, Mr. Mu'azu Jaji Sambo said there is a provision of N3bn Sukuk fund in year 2022 by the Federal Government to finance the Numan- Jalingo Road in Adamawa and Taraba States, adding that once the Sukuk fund is accessed shortly there would be remarkable progress at the construction site. He made the disclosure during his working tour to the rehabilitation of the road and other road projects in Taraba and Adamawa States. The Minister said that, “The 103-kilometer Numan-Jalingo Road is part of the Maiduguri –Calabar Highway. The section of the road that is not motorable is not acceptable. The road is the only connection between the North and South on the North Eastern axis of the country." Sambo said the people of Taraba State are very appreciative and delighted with the 80 housing units commissioned in Taraba State this week by President Muhammadu Buhari and they are very calm and happy with the ongoing works on township roads in Jalingo. The township roads: Hassan,Yelwa and DSS are three critical roads in Jalingo   which have defied all the civilians administrations in Taraba State since 1999. Sambo said that the successful works on the internal roads in Jalingo, the Taraba State Capital has given the people the hope that this current administration is capable of delivering the Numan -Janligo Road. He remarked   that he wouldn’t blame the contractor for the slow pace of work, saying it was due to the insufficient budgetary provision in the past and covid -19 pandemic that affected the progress of work. He said, however, with the current improved funding provision the contractor was expected to service its equipment and be more serious on the construction work. He added that if the company was found not to have the capacity to complete the job, government would not hesitate to terminate the contract and re-award it to a competent one. While briefing the Honorable Minister on the progress of work on the Numan- Jalingo Road Project, a Senior Civil Engineer at the site, Engr. Maria Kenneth Zirrah representative of the Federal Controller of Works Adamawa State said insecurity, lack of construction materials and funding were responsible for the slow pace of work on the road project. The Project Engineer of Deux Project Limited, the contractor for the Numan-Jalingo Road Project, Engr. Frank Koshihuk who spoke on behalf of the contractor said inflation, funding, insecurity were the major challenges on the construction of the road project. He promised that as soon as the funding pattern for the rehabilitation works improved, the work would be completed within 8months. The Minister of State also inspected the construction of Zing –Yakoko-Monkin Road in Taraba State during his 2-day working inspection visit. ...

HDMI: Works And Housing Ministry Concludes Evaluation For First Phase Of The Value-Added Concession’s RFP Submissions The Federal Ministry of Works and Housing has concluded evaluating proposals submitted for phase one of the Value-Added Concession (VAC) under the Highway Development and Management Initiative (HDMI). The HDMI is a PPP initiative of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing that seeks to attract sustainable investment and funding in the development of road infrastructure and maximize the use of assets along the Right of Way (ROW) of federal highways in the country. The first phase of the VAC under the HDMI seeks to concession 12 economically viable road corridors to technically and financially capable private sector firms/consortia. The 12 highways represent 1,963km or 5.6% of Nigeria’s 35,000km Federal Highway as follows: Benin-Asaba, Abuja-Lokoja, Kano-Katsina, Onitsha-Owerri-Aba, Sagamu-Benin and Abuja-Keffi-Akwanga Highways; the others are Kano-Maiduguri (Kano-Shuarin), Kano-Maiduguri (Potiskum-Damaturu), Lokoja-Benin, Enugu-Port Harcourt, Ilorin-Jebba, Lagos-Otta-Abeokuta and Lagos-Badagry-Seme Border. The Value-Added Concession Request for Proposal (RFP) Evaluation Report was presented and approved on Thursday, April 21, at the Project Steering Committee (PSC) meeting chaired by the Minister of Works & Housing, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola SAN.  Members of the PSC from the Ministries of Works & Housing, Environment, Finance, Budget & National Planning and Justice, Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, and Bureau of Public Enterprises attended the meeting. Speaking, the Head, PPP Unit, FMWH, Abimbola Asein, disclosed that the Project Delivery Team (PDT) had concluded the evaluation of the Bidders' technical and Financial proposals and proposed Preferred/Reserved Bidders had been identified.  She, however, explained that the HDMI Project Steering Committee (PSC) reserves the right to disqualify any Preferred Bidder found to have supplied inaccurate or misleading information, following due diligence or is unable to reach a mutual agreement on the Project's Technical and Financial Parameters. After deliberating on the prayers presented by the PDT, the PSC approved the prayers and adopted amendments agreed on during the meeting.  The PSC reiterated the importance of due diligence on the preferred bidders and recommended the constitution of a team made up of high-ranking officials from the relevant Ministries, noting that this would help achieve value for money for Nigeria during negotiations.      The rationale behind the HDMI, a private sector engagement, is to provide alternative sources of financing for road development and management in the country. It is consistent with the provisions of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) Establishment Act 2005; National Policy on Public-Private Partnership ("N4P"); Federal Highways Act CAP. 135, 1971; and Federal Roads and Bridges Tolling Policy.  The scope of the VAC under the HDMI includes the expansion, re-alignment, rehabilitation, and maintenance of the existing road pavements and bridges; construction of interchanges and pedestrian crossings and construction and operations of tolling facilities.  There is also the installation and operations of weighbridges; installation and operation of intelligent traffic systems for remote highway monitoring; physical patrol of the highway; provision of towing services, ambulance service, and refuse management. Others include the provision of directional signage, rest areas, and highway illumination, amongst others. The Request for Qualification (RFQ) Notice was published on March 29, 2021, through the HDMI Portal. At the close of the RFQ portal on May 31 2021, 75 firms/Consortia successfully submitted valid applications.  An Inter-Ministerial Evaluation Committee evaluated the 75 submitted bids, wherein 18 firms / Consortia were prequalified, having met all the criteria outlined in the RFQ notice. The RFP documents were then issued out to the 18 prequalified bidders on October 29, 2021, through the HDMI portal.  The deadline was February 22, 2022, while documents from the 18 bidders were officially opened during the RFP Bid opening ceremony held on February 23, 2022. The Project is now at the Due Diligence Stage and will be followed by Negotiation of Technical and Financial Parameters. The Negotiated Parameters will be populated in the Full Business Case (FBC) to be forwarded to ICRC for FBC Compliance Certificate.  The Compliance Certificate will be presented to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for consideration and approval. If approved, the Concession Agreement will be vetted by the Federal Ministry of Justice within a stipulated time frame to enable Commercial Close. ...