South East:  Redesign the Failed Portions with Concrete Pavement - Umahi The Honourable Minister of Works, Senator Nweze David Umahi has directed that the failed portions of the Enugu – Port Harcourt Expressway Section III: Enugu – Lokpanta in Enugu State should be redesigned with concrete pavement.   The Minister stated this at the inspection of the road which marks the beginning of his South East Road inspection tour scheduled to take place throughout the week starting from Tuesday 5th September – Saturday 9th September 2023.   Umahi reaffirmed that construction work on the federal roads must be done right to avoid coming back to redo an already completed work, he commented on some portions where the binder wearing has been completed but has now failed.   “We noticed a couple of failures in some completed and uncompleted sections, contractors must go back and amend them, I believe that bad asphalt resulted to the failure and we cannot take that” ‘he said.   The Minister pointed out that some portions of the expressway inspected so far needs urgent and immediate attention and directed the Director in charge of the South East geo-political zone, Engr. Bede Obioha from the Ministry to come up with recommendations for the accomplishment of his directives.   “From Km 0+00 left hand side needed immediate attention up to Ozalla and should be amended on rigid pavement and the entire right-hand side also must be on same rigid pavement, Director Highways south East take note.   Umahi commended the contractor for the work done so far and encouraged them to continue to keep the pace and on the issue of finance, the Ministry will do their best to make sure fund is provided.   Addressing the Minister earlier, the Director Highways South East, Engr. Bede Obioha briefed the Minister on the project and also assured him that all the recommendations sited shall be corrected.   The Contractor, Messrs. CGC Nigeria Limited thanked the Minister for visiting the site and promised to work on the failed portions but revealed that the challenge they have is paucity of fund as well as the rainy season, after which, the failed portions shall be corrected. ...

Ondo State Hails the Appointment of Minister of Works. .....Ooni Of Ife, Senator Iyiola Omisore Discuss Osun Roads with Umahi The Honourable Minister of Works Engr David Nweze Umahi has explained the reasons of his working visit to the South West and other regions of the country, he said “I have been in Lagos and South West since Monday to evaluate the ongoing projects especially bridges that are so important to Lagos economy, the issue of concrete technology on our roads and review of road contracts, that is why we are going around to see how we can redesign our roads with concrete pavement”.   He made these remarks while meeting with the Deputy Governor of Ondo State Mr. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa who received him on behalf of the state. The Minister during his visit also explained how Ondo State can partner with the Federal Government through the Highway Development Initiative (HDMI) in building Federal Government roads in Ondo State.   The Minister said ‘Most Federal roads are connecting one state to the other and when such is cut off the economic viability of such states are in trouble, that is why I am presenting to the Economic Council to allow us to access funds to conclude some of these roads and if we don’t conclude them, it will impact negatively on these states economy.” The Deputy Governor who spoke on behalf of  Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu CON SAN during the meeting in the  Governor's office  said “Your appointment has not come to us as a surprise, congratulations on your nomination, clearance and inauguration by Mr. President  it is a well-deserved appointment , because as a former Governor your antecedent made you the first among the rest  and your experience in the terrain of infrastructural development and governance is in no small measure”.   The Deputy Governor said "the zeal at which you have commenced official engagement with your visit to the South West zone has given us excitement that better days are here for real”.   He said the “APC administration in this state has taken a giant stride in infrastructural development by building quality roads in all the Sectorial district of the state”.   Earlier, the Minister after his tour of the dualization of lbadan road (Mayfair Junction)- Lagere-Iremo –Enuwa- Ilesha Bye-Pass in Osun State paid a courtesy visit on the Ooni of Ife Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, (Ọjájá II) CFR with Senator Iyiola Ajani Omisore at the Ooni palace where the Minister explained to them the advantages of building roads with concrete in Osun State. ...

Highway Inspection: Umahi Meets with Ogun and Oyo State Governors .....Lagos – Abuja to take four hours journey through supersonic highways –Works Minister .....You have demonstrated capacity and experience for promising immediate approval for state governments to fix Federal roads – Ogun State Governor to Umahi .....Oyo – Iseyin road to be commissioned in September – Makinde Minister of Works Engr David Nweze Umahi CON, confirmed  “Let me announce to you that Lagos proposed 4th Mainland Bridge Supersonic Highway will take four hours to drive from Lagos to Abuja , he said  "we had a presentation on it  yesterday with the consultant , and  it's going to be on Public Private Partnership (PPP)  , driving from Lagos to Abuja will take 4hrs , we are concluding on it within one or two months  and work will start’" he made this remarks  during his meeting with the Ogun State Governor, Princ  Dapo  Abiodun  in his Office in Abeokuta , the Ogun State capital.   Umahi informed  the Governor “ We have a programme called Highway Development Management Initiative ( HDMI) and  it allows states and other Private Investors to engage with the FG either to take over a fully  constructed road to toll and maintain it  in partnership with Federal Government or take a brand new road and reconstruct it and toll it, under laid down agreement, l  am very much  open to that, we also bring some roads  architecture   into this kind of arrangement; solar lights  where we can fix CCTV to monitor  our  roads and   increase visibility, this will  largely reduce insecurity  and also create service stations, we can monitor security at these service stations, we have mini clinics , toll vans at this stations just as we see outside the country.”   The Minister said “it is better to break the law and save the life of Nigerians “.  He told the Governor that any state government that wants to do PPP with Federal Government has his approval already.   “Your Excellency, I am here for you I pledge to my country and to you to align with your heartbeat with the welfare of your people, road is everything when you have good road, insecurity is reduced, economy will boom, trade will thrive, education will thrive road is one infrastructure that will touch every sector of our economy.  Mr President is very committed to fixing our road that will last 50years” Umahi said.   The Honourable Minister explained that when people are suffering, they don’t talk about who owns the road, fixing the road is what they are interested in and that was what Ogun, Lagos and Oyo State Governments were doing,” anyone that is complaining that he cannot fix Nigeria road is playing politics”.   While holding similar meeting with His Excellency the  Executive Governor of Oyo State Engr Seyi Makinde  in his office in Ibadan, the Hon. Minister of Works commended  Oyo government for working on Federal Roads “You have done quite a number of roads and you were not waiting that you must have all  approval before you do it, if we are waiting for due process of refund for working on FG roads, our people will be the ones to suffer. We are excited with Governor Seyi Makinde, we as a government have also done a number of roads” Umahi said.   His Excellency, the Governor of Ogun State Prince Dapo Abiodun, in his reaction told the Minister” I thank you for the remarks you made about how we have been very indiscriminate in working on roads weather they are Federal or State roads, when our citizens are suffering on the road, they don’t ask who owns the road.”   ‘I thank you for saying you will give approval to any State Government that wants to fix Nigerian roads, that has demonstrated your capacity and understanding” the Governor said.   During the Minister of Works meeting with the Oyo State Governor, he said “For us If a road is important to our economy we just go ahead and fix it, an example is the road between Oyo and Iseyin, the road passes through our major Agric business hub and for Agro processors in the area, they need good roads to evacuate their products".   FG asked us to follow the Federal standard in building the road which we did, the project is about 34km and shall be commissioned September 15, 2023.   Top Management Staff of the Ministry of Works and State dignitaries were present at both meetings. ...