On Thursday, the Minister of Works, Sen. (Engr.) Nweze David Umahi flagged off the rehabilitation project on the Abuja-Kaduna road.
He said the road project is divided into three sections Section I is between Abuja and Kaduna, Section II is between Kaduna and Zaria, and Section III is between Zaria and Kano. With only about 17 kilometers left, the Zaria to Kano section is essentially finished.
“It has recently been extended with solar street lighting, covering an additional 5.3 kilometers to the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport and BUA (Nig.) Plc is in charge.
“Messrs Julius Berger (Nig.) Plc is in charge of the Kaduna-Zaria division. However, because Section I work was moving slowly,” he added.
The Minister chastised Messrs Julius Berger (Nig.) Plc, the original contractor, for playing games and shoving the Administration around instead of focusing on completing the project by the reviewed contract sum of N740 billion, and emphasizing that no further reviews would be accepted.
He also revealed that the Ministry is prepared to complete the project on concrete with the same quality as the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway or the Apapa-Oworonshoki Expressway, both of which are expected to last for between 50 and 100 years if Messrs Julius Berger (Nig.) Plc is unwilling to proceed with the project at the agreed-upon amount.
According to Umahi, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has ordered two expeditious measures to be implemented on the road in order to alleviate the suffering of road users: palliative work, which the contractor has already mobilized to the site and is anticipated to complete by mid-November, and complete rehabilitation.
“After this is finished, you can go from here to Kaduna with your eyes closed.”Messrs. Dangote Industries Plc was awarded a portion of Section I of the road, and they subcontracted it to Messrs. Hitech (Nig.),” he joked.
Upon initiating the project, the Minister urged them to start in three areas and, above all, from the end where the road is extremely poor.
Umahi praised the President’s infrastructure initiative, noting that when he took office, the nation’s infrastructure was in a horrible state of disrepair.
In his welcome speech, Engineer Umar Bakare, the Director of Highways, Construction, and Rehabilitation, revealed that Julius Berger PLC was given the original contract in 2018.
The contract was split into three sections to facilitate construction, while Section I is only about 27% complete, Section II is substantially completed, and Section III is nearing completion.
The road is a vital link to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and its economic significance to the nation makes it necessary to expedite the completion of the remaining Dual Carriageway sections.
Engr. Bakare disclosed that the project is 38 kilometers long (dual) and is under Section I of the initial contract.
The work’s scope includes scarification, pulverization, and compaction of the damaged pavement’s current subbase. New stone-based pavement that is 3% cement stabilized as well as continuously reinforced concrete pavement, or CRCP, are provided on the shoulders and carriageway.
It also involves the installation of hydraulic structures, such as lined drains and culverts. The contract is worth N145.8 billion, and it should be finished in fourteen (14) months.
The Nigerian Federal Government’s Tax Credit Scheme governs the financing model.
During the flag-off ceremony, Bukar Abba, a representative of the Dangote Group, expressed gratitude to the Federal Government and the Minister in particular for their trust in Dangote Industries Ltd.
He also gave an assurance that the company would adhere closely to the project’s specifications and the estimated time of completion.
Sen. Onyekachi Nwebonyi, the Senate’s Deputy Chief Whip, and, Sen. Adamu Aliero were full of praise for the Administration for coming to the aid of road users while urging the contractor to deliver according to specifications, as well as the dateline.
(Boardroom)
