FG APPROVES FUNDS FOR THE COMPLETION OF THE REHABILITATION OF ABUJA-KADUNA- ZARIA–KANO DUAL CARRIAGEWAY AND BODO-BONNY ROAD WITH BRIDGES ACROSS THE OPOBO CHANNEL, TASKS JULIUS BERGER PLC ON QUALITY AND SPEEDY PROJECT DELIVERY.   The Federal Government has tasked Julius Berger (Nig.) Plc on the need to fast-track the completion of the rehabilitation of the 82-km Section II of the Abuja – Kaduna – Zaria – Kano Dual Carriageway in FCT, Kaduna, and Kano States and the construction of the Bodo – Bonny road with bridges across the Opobo Channel, Route 430 in Rivers State. This charge was made by the Honourable Minister of Works, His Excellency, Sen. (Engr.) Nweze David Umahi, CON during a meeting with Julius Berger (Nig.) Plc, represented by its Executive Director, Projects, Engr. Banjamin Bott and the Head of Contract Management, Omonigho Brown at the Ministry’s headquarters Mabushi, Abuja on 3rd October 2024. Speaking during the meeting, the Honourable Minister stated that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) at its meeting of 23rd September, 2024 approved the re-scoping and downward review of the contract for the rehabilitation of the Abuja – Kaduna – Zaria – Kano Dual Carriageway in the FCT, Kaduna and Kano States, contract No. 6350 and the revised estimated total cost / augmentation of the contract for the construction of Bodo-Bonny road with bridges  across the Opobo channel, route 430 in Rivers State, contract No. 6247, amounting to a total contract sum of Seven Hundred and Forty Billion, Seven Hundred and Ninety-Seven Million, Two Hundred and  Four  Thousand, Seven  Hundred and Thirteen Naira, Twenty Five Kobo (N740,797,204,713. 25) and Eighty Billion, Seventy-Six Million, Three Hundred and Sixty-One Thousand, Thirty-Six Naira, Thirteen Kobo (N80,076,361,036.13) and tasked the contractors handling Federal Government's projects on the need for corporate nationalism in price negotiation in the face of the daunting economic challenges facing Nigeria. He said “Then we have section II, which is 82 kilometers by two, which is the section that JBN Plc is working on. And so, if you check what FEC approved on 23rd of September, FEC had approved that the total contract sum within the scope of Berger would be N740 billion, which means that if you remove N391 billion paid already, you now have about N340 billion remaining, which is the scope of their work for the 164 kilometers”. He urged the contractor to mobilize in the four sections of the Abuja - Zaria - Kaduna - Kano project to finish the job within 14 months. Engr. Umahi noted that the prices given on the said projects were the best in view of the economic reality of the time. He added, “So we are appealing to you not to try to increase the contract sum, because it will not be possible. And we have written to the President to approve that if JBN Plc does not accept the N740 billion, we will terminate the contract. We have terminated some of their jobs because we've been negotiating sometimes 12 months, 13 months. There must be an end to negotiation." He further said, “We are ready to pay you (JBN Plc) even fresh mobilisation, just to underscore the interest of the President on this project. So we are appealing and begging you that by Monday, you should be able to sign the addendum to the contract.” He harped on the need for JBN Plc to mobilize in multiple locations of the two projects so as to complete them on a record time. On the Bodo-Bonny project, he said “We don't think we have any issue. We've agreed on the N280 billion, which is the new contract sum that is fixed, and then for a 12- month completion period; that is an additional 12 months. So, we want you to mobilize in a minimum of three locations. So that within these 12 months, we'll be able to finish the job.” He went further to state, “In the letter to NLNG, we have to also propose 30% advance payment, so that they will be able to have enough funds to mitigate inflation and any form of variation.”  The meeting ended with a formal handover of the Letters of Award in respect of the reviewed approved projects contract sums to Julius Berger (Plc), which terms contain inter alia: “that the contract is fixed, firm, non-transferable and deemed duly terminated by effluxion of time, unless otherwise formally reviewed by the Ministry.   ...

WORKS MINISTER DIRECTS IMMEDIATE ASSESSMENT OF SECTION III OF THE DUALIZED KANO - MAIDUGURI ROAD CUT OFF BY FLOOD, MEETS WITH DANGOTE, BUA, MAINSTREAM ON MEASURES TO FAST TRACK DELIVERY OF PROJECTS FUNDED BY TAX CREDIT - AS THE MINISTRY TERMINATES SECTION 1 KANO- MAIDUGURI ROAD HANDLED BY DANTATA & SAWOE LTD DUE TO EFFLUXION OF TIME The Honourable Minister of Works, His Excellency, Sen. Engr. Nweze David Umahi CON has assured the Bauchi State Governor of immediate intervention on the flood damaged section of the Kano- Maiduguri federal road within Bauchi State that was cut off by flood after a heavy downpour recently. As part of immediate measures, he has directed a technical team from the Ministry to move to the spot to evaluate the damage done and report back for the Ministry to procure an emergency solution to the problem to alleviate the attendant inconveniences faced by the road users, especially the people of Malori-Guskuri community in Katsgun Local Government Area of Bauchi State whose source of livelihood has been severely affected by the destruction occasioned by flood. He said, "I'm directing the Director of Highway Rehabilitation to liaise with the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Works to immediately deploy some technical people to go and evaluate what we can do over there and it's very unfortunate that when a job is completed by contractors, we don't even enjoy the road for five years, and we are back to square one.  That's why I've been saying that this issue of a one-year liability period is not desirable because every badly executed job can last for one year, but it cannot last for five years.  So we are still going to request the contractor that did the job, Mothercart Ltd, to join that team and find out why the road had to cut into two as reported to us today, and that is section three of Kano-Maiduguri road."  He announced the termination of section 1 of Kano-Maiduguriroad awarded since 2007 to Dantata & Sawoe Ltd due to effluxion of time. Speaking during a performance review meeting with Dangote Group of Companies Plc, BUA Group of Companies Plc and Mainstream Energy Solutions Ltd on the road projects handled under Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Scheme held at the Ministry's headquarters, Mabushi -Abuja on 9th August 2024, the Honourable Minister said plans were underway  to review the liability  period for all federal government projects to ensure durability and value  for money.  He highlighted the progress made so far in funding critical projects under the Tax Credit Scheme and called for more concerted efforts by all contractors handling projects under the tax credit scheme in order to complete all the awarded projects on a record time as the projects are within the economic corridors of the nation.  He said that going forward, there would be an agreement on milestone completion and timetable for the various ongoing projects being done under Tax Credit.  "So, my position as the Minister of Works is that everybody must take responsibility. We will no longer fold our hands and allow the projects we have awarded and even reviewed to continue to linger.  Nigerians are suffering on these roads, and President Ahmed Bola Tinubu GCFR is doing everything possible, giving the road sector special attention.  And so it will be a failure on our side for us to fold our hands and watch contractors linger on these roads without minding the sufferings of the people." He called for more commitment on the side of all the funding partners, the ministry, and the contractors and asked for patience on the side of Nigerians.  He said, " So we call for patience, partnership, and patriotism. The President means well for this nation.  We must play our part and this is very important. So, to our contractors and to every staff member of the Ministry of Works, and of course to myself, we all must sit up and play our part to support the divine vision of Mr. President to retake our country." The following projects are handled on Tax Credit, and some of them have suffered  delays due to obsolete  prices, but all such projects are being  reviewed to get these contractors  to increase  their pace of  work. The projects are: - Dangote - the 35 km Apapa-Owonronshoki Expressway in Lagos State, the 38 km section of Abuja-Kaduna-Kano road dualization, the 49.577km Dikwa-Gamboru-Ngala road, Borno State, the construction of Nnamdi Azikiwe road (western  bypass) in Kaduna State, the 49.153 km Bama - Banki road in Borno State, the reconstruction of 105km Obelle-Ilaro-Papalanto-Shagamu Road dualization, the reconstruction of 54.239km Deep Seaport in Lagos State,  the 65.5 km Afikpo-Okigwe road in Ebonyi and Imo States being procured and the 53.7km of side lanes for the Lekki Deep Seaport in Lagos State being procured;  - BUA - the 20 km of roads in each of the three sections of Lokoja - Benin Highway, the 17.6km section of Abuja-Kaduna-Kano road (more 3 km to be included at the Kano axis), the 132.5km Kano-Kongollam in Kano, Jigawa, and Kastina States, the 130km Bode Sadu - Kaiama road, 42km Eyenkorin-Offa road, the 73km Lafiaji-Bacita road and the 37km Okuta-Kenu road all in Kwara State; - Mainstream - the 76.586km Malando - Ngasike - Wara road in Kebbi State, the 45.13km Sabon Gari - Yuni - Auna Road in Magami LGA of Niger State and the asphalt overlay of Mokwa-Nasarawa road in Niger State. - MTN - the dualization of 107km Enugu- Onitsha road. The Honourable Minister commended the good works completed on  the ongoing projects by Dangote Plc, like the Apapa-Owonronshoki Expressway,the Lekki-Deep Seaport road and the construction  of Nnamdi Azikiwe road (western bypass) in Kaduna State. He also commended BUA for the good job they are doing at Ekpoma on the Lokoja  Benin Highway project. He nonetheless charged  Mainstream to step up efforts  on the projects  being  handled  by them.   ...

ENUGU – ONITSHA ROAD CONSTRUCTION: FEDERAL MINISTRY OF WORKS REVIEWS PERFORMANCE, FROWNS AT SLOW PACE OF WORK BY RCC AND NIGERCAT, DIRECTS ENFORCEMENT OF OPERATION FREE OUR ROADS In furtherance of Federal Government’s directive on review of performance of all inherited ongoing and new road projects nationwide and as part of efforts to alleviate the sufferings of road users, the Honourable Minister of Works, His Excellency, Sen. Engr. Nweze David Umahi, CON has directed the contractors handling the construction of the 107km Enugu – Onitsha road dualization to brace up for the implementation of the policies of the Renewed Hope administration with respect to speed and quality of work, commitment to project execution and care for the comfort of road users by maintaining one carriageway of the dual carriageway under construction to mitigate the sufferings of road users.  This directive came during a crucial meeting of the Ministry with MTN that is funding the construction of Enugu – Onitsha road dualization under Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Scheme, the representatives of the Government of Enugu State and the two contractors handling the project under the Tax Credit scheme – RCC Ltd and Nigercat Ltd, held at the Ministry’s Headquarters, Mabushi- Abuja on 8th August 2024. The Honourable Minister while recalling that the Enugu – Onitsha dual carriageway is being funded by MTN under the Tax Credit Scheme expressed disappointment on the condition of the road under construction and blamed the sufferings of the road users on lack of commitment and sheer insensitivity of the contractors on the plight of the road users.  He said, “The MTN has engaged the subcontractors, two subcontractors, RCC Ltd and Nigercat Ltd. The first time I supervised that project, I discovered that the Nigercat section where we have a binder course had failed. I directed that the binder course must be scarified and reinstated, and I knew it was inherited. I want to believe that it has been done.” He stated, “Let me express my disappointment over the slow pace of work on that project. It's one of the worst roads in this country. Everywhere we have diversion; diverting from the one that RCC and the Nigercat had completed, the contractors are not kind enough to even put stone based on the diversion points. So, by the reason of the launching of our Operation Free our Roads, it is now a violation  of policy on the side of  the controllers and directors of the Federal Ministry of Works where we have vehicles falling on any project that is ongoing or where there are pot holes on our roads” He further said, “Last Sunday, I inspected that road with the Governor of Enugu State and we saw the level of suffering  of people at the Abakpa section of that road where RCC Ltd was putting binder, about 3.5 km of the road, and they blocked it.  And so everybody now resorted to using one carriageway which is not even maintained. And so some people stayed there for five hours and that is not acceptable.  I have continued to say that Nigerians should not be suffering while contractors are building roads for our people.  It does not happen in any other country, the way it happens in Nigeria. The public must know that the President's intention is not for them to suffer while trying to fix the roads, and it is their right to insist that contractors should fix the roads that they are engaged on. Most of the time, contractors bring very serious nuisances, hardships, and pains to the public, and they don't care.” He thanked the government of Enugu State for their resolve to fund the construction of 20km Abakpa junction to Akama (9th Mile) section of Enugu – Onitsha road on rigid pavement and the construction of a flyover bridge at Abakpa junction to be refunded through MTN Tax Credit. He expressed hope that MTN would still execute the construction of the second phase of the 107km x 2 road dualization.  He added, “Why Enugu State government is intervening is because of the slow pace of work by the contractors and because of funding issues.  The essence of tax credit is for funds to be made available. And so, I don't see RCC going to keep to their promise to finish this project in 6 months. My advice to MTN is to look for another contractor within that axis if they want to get the job done.  Division of labour is even the best. While they are doing the road, and if Nigercat is doing a good job, you can give them greater scope to do if you want to finish that job.” He warned that contractors delaying jobs are on their own as Federal Government, as a matter of policy, would not accept a phased handover of projects and has phased out VOP in contract administration.  He maintained that the contractors must in line with the Renewed Hope agenda maintain all roads handled by them until they are fully completed and handed over to Federal Government.  He further said to RCC Ltd, “When where you are working is almost going bad, it's better to get it finished. As a policy, we are not doing a phased handover. You have to finish your job, and then we inspect it, and if you take 10 years to finish your job, it's your duty to maintain the one that you have done that is failing” He re-emphasized the policy of the current administration, which de-emphasizes VOP but is open to contract review using prevailing rates.  He said to RCC Ltd, “We've agreed on how to review the projects from Certificate No. 12, and it is the prevailing rates that we're going to give to you.  And so, there will be no VOP when we review the job, and we should all work very hard to see that within two weeks, we get these documents down to BPP and see if we can take it to FEC this month.”  He, however, noted that the slow pace in the progress of work on the Enugu – Onitsha road dualization does not lie in funding but in the execution by the contractors.   ...