Minister of Works, David Umahi, has expressed dismay at the slow pace of work on the Akwa Ibom and Cross River states section of the Lagos-Calabar coastal road project and given the contractors; Julius Berger, China Civil Engineering and Construction Company (CCECC) and Raynolds Construction Company (RCC) one week to return to site or risk termination of the contract.
Umahi said this while speaking during the Stakeholders’ Engagement on Alignment of 3b and 4 of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway held at Ibom Hall, Uyo Akwa Ibom State, on Saturday.
The minister said after the expiration of the expiration of the 14 days notices earlier given to the contractors, any of them who failed to mobilize to the site will have their contract terminated.
Umahi expressed disappointment that the contractors have been giving excuses of non-payment of compensation as reasons for not mobilizing to the site while noting that the Akwa Ibom State government had already settled the compensation issues as it concerns Calabar-Itu road.
He said, “If you talk to them, they will say it is because of compensation and this governor, Akwa-Ibom State, had settled compensation issues, so we are giving them a marching order to CCECC to mobilize at least 3 sections of that road.
“Mr President has given enough money to fund the projects. The same thing with Julius Berger, by the end of this coming week, if Julius Berger fails to remobilize to the site and the CCECC fails to mobilize to at least 3 sections of the road, the jobs will be terminated.
“The worst of roads in the entire South South remains this Akwa Ibom to Cross River through Itu and Odukpani and the section being done by RCC. RCC had collected over N40bn on that road; 15kilometres of roads, N156 billion it inherited from the past administration, they are playing tricks.
“We have been on them to change their mindset, and by the end of next week, our 14 days notice of termination of the contract will elapse, and we will terminate the projects and give to those who have mastery of laying concrete.”
Also speaking during the Stakeholders’ meeting, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, called on the state governor, Umo Eno and all the stakeholders to show maximum cooperation to the contractors when the project kicks off.
He appreciated the President, Bola Tinubu, for listening to his plea to ensure that the Coastal highway passes through Akwa Ibom State and for the construction to be carried out at the same with the Lagos section so it would be completed in record time.
“I want to sincerely thank Mr President for listening to my plea that the road be constructed simultaneously in Akwa Ibom and Cross River States” Akpabio
In his remarks, the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Umo Eno, disclosed that his government had paid compensation with regard to the Calabar-Itu road.
He also assured that his administration would give adequate support in terms of security and other logistics to ensure the completion of the road in record time.
Who says we can not do new roads because we have bad old roads? The government should go ahead with the project. It’s very clear now that the project is not for political promise as politicians are known for. I know what I used to pass through when driving through Patani to Port Harcourt from Lagos. May God bless engr umahi for a job well done đź‘Ź