IPOB sit-at-home order affecting project implementation ― FG

The Federal Government on Thursday affirmed that the ongoing sit-at-home order of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) is affecting project implementation in the region.

Speaking on the progress of work on the 2nd Niger Bridge at the weekly ministerial briefing organised by the Presidential Communications Team at the Presidential, Abuja, Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, said it is the problem being faced on the Anambra State side of the project.

He said: “Just last week, I was briefing about the challenges we are facing on the Anambra side of the second Niger Bridge, where people are being told not to go to work or to sit at home on Mondays.

“So, every day that we don’t work there is time lost. So if you look at a 52 week year that does not start on a Monday, you will have probably 52 more days, so we lose 52 days work, that is a lot work to lose on a construction site.”

He said the Bridge earlier scheduled for completion last February was delayed due to the COVID-19 lockdown and EndSARS protests.

According to him, it has now reached 91 per cent completion.

Speaking more on the Bridge, he said: “On the Second Niger Bridge, we are going to shut down power supply from one of the power plants for maintenance, but that will provide us the opportunity to quickly replace all the transmission lines because we have built and raised the level which is now dangerously close to the Transmission Line so they have to reinstall them.

“So, power outage will happen I think for a week to 10 days, we’re working with our partners in the ministry of power and also the Gencos to have this done. Again, these are challenges.”

On whether the 2nd Niger Bridge is a PPP arrangement, Fashola said, not yet, adding: “Right now, there’s no private sector money in what you have seen, not yet. NSIA manages the funds. So money that has come has been an investments from the dividend income that comes to government on its investment. And the money I told you, President Buhari has recovered, that was stolen from Nigeria.

“So, it’s government money so far. NSIA is talking to some investors who want to bring money, they have not brought it. Invariably they will, or we expect that it will and invariably, we tend to then concession the assets for better management. But that is further down the line.”

On allegations that the 2nd Niger Bridge was fully funded by the administration, the minister said, “Certainly not. It wasn’t fully funded by the previous administration. The answer to this lies in anybody just going to the 2015 budget. Go to the 2016 budget. Go to the 2017 budget. These are matters of public record. You will also see my statements where I was complaining that the only funding those budget were usually N2 billion, N5 billion and sometimes they will slash it. But part of the work has started, something tiny was being done for nothing near where the PIDF came in.

“It was when the PIDF came in, that JB now mobilize all of it resources, bring in dredgers order piles. So at that time, we will pile one and go. If you go back in the records, you will see that my first visit to this site, they had stopped work. Some of you covered me then in 2016, we received in their yard and no work was going on because there was no money.”

He also said power outage for between seven to 10 days will happen on the Anambra side of the bridge to enable them reinstall transmission lines.

Fashola provided updates on key collaborations between the Federal Government and the State Governments in the implementation of some of the major reforms being executed by the Ministry and the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF).

He stated that 1,486 people have been directly employed for the 2nd Niger Bridge while another 8,110 indirect jobs have been created.

The Minister said the cost of three major PIDF projects is N1.3 trillion including Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Expressway (375km): N797 billion, 2nd Niger Bridge (11.59km): N206 billion and Lagos-Ibadan Expressway (127km): N310 billion.

Fashola said that Lagos Ibadan Express Way and 2nd Niger Bridge are on course to be completed this year 2022, while the main Carriageway of Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano expressway is scheduled for completion by Q2 2023, adding that ancillary works will be completed later.

The minister warned motorists not to exceed 100km/h on completed roads, to avoid crashes, saying that the warning has became necessary because he got messages from some of the road users who said because of the quality of work done, they were doing 150 100km/hr.

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