Hire Local Equipment And Personnel, Fashola Charges Contractor The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN has charged the contractor handling the Dualization of Aba – Ikot Ekpene Road, Section 1 to source and deploy equipment and personnel locally to fast track the pace of work on the road project. The Minister gave the charge during the inspection of the project.He said, “Start hiring local equipment and hire local people that you need, start training them for engagement while waiting for the one from China.” Fashola directed that between now and March all the bad portions of the road must be made motorable before the rains come. He said, “Try and repair the bad portions first before the rains come, so that these people will know that their government care about them. So if you do not finish the construction of the road, they will know the road is getting better”. While speaking to newsmen, the minister said the contract was initially awarded to a different company but had to be terminated due to poor performance and now re-awarded to Messrs CGGC Global Projects Nig. Limited. Speaking earlier, the contractor complained that the equipment and some of the personnel they wanted to use were stuck in China as a result of the outbreak of corona virus. Similarly, while inspecting work on the Dualization of Odukpani – Itu road the minister expressed optimism that the contractor, Julius Berger Nigeria Limited that is handling 21Kilometres of the road will do everything possible to ensure that the road is motorable during the rainy season even if the construction was still on going. The Minister assured the contractor that he doesn’t need to leave the site on funding basis because he had enlisted the project for SUKUK funding hence they wont run out of money. He further informed that the other bad portions of the Odukpani- Itu road which so many people didn’t understand the contractual responsibilities, had been awarded to another company, so we have a contractor on both sides. The Permanent Secretary for Works in Akwa Ibom State, Engr. John Itiat expressed happiness over the commitment of the Federal government to the work on the road. ...

Infrastructure Policy Is Clearly Hitting The Right Buttons Across The Country – Works and Housing Minister The Minister of Works and Housing,Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN has stated that the Infrastructure policy of the present administration is clearly hitting the right buttons across the country. He made this statement during an inspection tour of Amansea Section of the Rehabilitation of Onitsha-Enugu Expressway, Anambra; and the tour of the Federal Secretariat, Awka; as well as the National Housing Programme at Isiagwu, the Second Niger Bridge in Anambra and Delta States and the National Housing Programme in Asaba, Delta State. Mr. President, he said has continued to emphasize commitment to infrastructure as the quickest way to employing people. Fashola further said, “Policies have very diverse and extensive impact on the people, so when Mr. President says he wants to lift a 100millon people out of poverty he knows what he is saying and he knows some of the right buttons like infrastructure, to press.” Whilst going round the sites, the Minister interacted with workers who were full of appreciation to the administration of President Buhari for the opportunity to work and earn a living rather than going into crime. Mr. Sunday Etikwu, a mason at one of the National Housing Programme site who was visibly excited said he received a daily pay of N4,500 naira and works all through the week. A food vendor Mrs. Ebele Chukwu also expressed happiness for the opportunity to cook and sell alongside her husband who works as a labourer at the site goes home with at least N5,000 naira daily. Fashola said the end product may be constructing a road or building a housing estate but the human capacity is enhanced through drains being laid, electric fittings being installed, foundations being dug, blocks being molded and 7 foods being supplied, thereby proving employment and boosting the economy as well as the living standard of the community and its environs. “It is the initial value chain of the economy which is the first impact you feel when it comes to infrastructure” he said. At the National Housing Programme site at Isiagwu, the Minister observed significant improvements especially when accessing the site as compared to what obtained when he first came to the site. He further said it was a far sighted vision by the state government to open up the community, but was still expectant on their commitment to open up more roads as it would take some time for the Isiagwu community to come alive. During the inspection of the Federal Secretariat project in Awka the supervisor Engr. Nnamdi Umeji who conducted the minister round the site said the project had reached 90% completion level. The contractor handling the project observed that the project had no provision for a lift as it was not budgeted for. The Minster asked him to submit the design and cost implication for the provision of a lift booth which the contractor promised to submit within three weeks. Fashola also inspected the National Housing Programme in Asaba located along Benin-Asaba expressway which had twelve contractors on site. The Project Supervisor, Arc. Godwin Otobo said the first phase of the semi detached houses had reached almost 100% completion level. Other projects inspected were the construction of Umunya road in Awka, Anambra State where the Minister expressed dissatisfaction over the slow pace of work and charged the contractor to expedite action on the project and the construction of the second Niger Bridge which had reached over 30% completion level. It was revealed that the Second Niger Bridge will be completed in year 2022. ...

Road Users Should not Face Hardship - Fashola The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN has charged contractors working on the dualization of the Lokoja – Auchi - Benin road,  to ensure that road users are not subjected to hardship while the work is on going. The Minister gave the charge on yesterday during the inspection tour of the road. Fashola said, “contractors are being encouraged to ensure that road users do not face hardship while construction work is going on especially during the rainy season” Fashola said that thorough work was being done on the road to achieve high quality. He said “ it’s not just asphalt that is being laid, the road is being built from under with laterites and stones”. At the Auchi –Ehor  section of the road, the Minister explained that the road was a source of discomfort to road users especially during the last rainy season before some emergency work was done, adding that the 250 Kilometre road  linking the North to the South which was a single road was now being dualised. He added that while some sections of the road had been completed others were at different stages of completion. Reacting to questions on how long the work was going to take before completion, Fashola said, “I think it is important to highlight the problem here for some who have questioned how long it took, we had to grade it to reduce the hill which was about 7metres which is equivalent to a two story building”. “We brought it down to reduce accident which was a perennial problem in the area and by so doing I can say that government has succeeded in saving lives and property.’’ On their part, the representatives of the various companies handling the project promised to ensure that there was free flow of traffic while the construction work is on-going and especially during the rainy season. The Minister also inspected the National Housing programme in Benin. The construction of the 44 units apartment project which is  among the on-going 34 National  Housing Programme, is near completion. The contractor gave the assurance that the project would be completed soon. Fashola said that a sustainable process was being put in place for the sale of the houses under the National Housing Programme to deserving Nigerians. ...