The Federal Ministry of Works and Housing has said it would undertake an appropriate road test on the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), funded roads to ascertain their quality and durability as a measure to guarantee value for money to Nigerians.
The Director Highways, Construction and Rehabilitation, Mr Folorunso Esan, made this disclosure at the inspection of the NNPC Tax Credit Scheme which captured the ongoing dualization of Suleja- Minna highway, Phase I and II.
The inspection also covered the reconstruction of Lambata -Lapai-Bida road in Niger State which are among the critical roads to be financed under the NNPC Tax Credit Scheme.
In a statement, signed by the Director, Press & Public Relations, Boade Akinola the director expressed satisfaction on the spate of work already executed on site.
The statement reads in part: “The Director, said that the Ministry would carry out the appropriate tests to determine the quality and the durability of the construction work on roads to ensure compliance with acceptable standards.
“I am here to see that they have improved on their mobilization and they are working.”
“Esan said that adequate fund have been released to the contractors through the governance process established to ensure prompt delivery of the road projects, adding that no contractor has any reason not to deliver as scheduled.
“Esan disclosed that the inspection team was among others reasons, on sites to prevail on the contractors to accelerate their work-speed, to ensure early completion and delivery of the roads because these are major road networks with heavy traffic flow in the North Central region, connecting towns and cities within the region, South Western states and other regions in Nigeria.
“The Director assured Nigerians of speedy completion and delivery of the roads as scheduled despite the heavy vehicular movement on the roads, noting that inadequate funding which used to be a major challenge has been permanently solved through the NNPC Tax Credit Scheme because the Corporation would fund the road projects to their completion.
“The length of the road is 124.81kms which commenced from Lambata town passing through Lapai – Agaie and terminating at Bida.
“The construction of the road is very imperative to link the Bida-Mokwa section, already completed, under the World Bank, due to the importance of the segment of the federal highway, being a major link for vehicular traffic from the South West to the North Central part of the country and beyond,” said the Controller of Works in the state.
He added that the Suleja-Minna dualization which was projected to be completed in January 2024 would be completed much earlier due to the availability of fund.
The statement added that, Federal Controller of Works, Niger State, Engineer Samotu Moshood, said the Bida- Lapai-Lambata road, said that work on 46kms amounting to 36 percent of the work has been completed.
He was also optimistic that before the rainy season commences, the work is projected to have extended to Lapai which would be additional 60kms.
He said the extension would continue to Agaie, another 80kms before the end of the year 2022.
The Project Manager of Messrs. Salini Nigeria Limited, Engineer Daniel Kassa, the contractor handling the Suleja-Minna Road, expressed gratitude to the Federal Government for selecting the project to be among the beneficiaries of the NNPC Tax Credit Scheme.
He disclosed that the company had been fully mobilized to the sites with adequate funds and assured Nigerians of accelerated speed on the work to enable it complete the road and deliver as scheduled.
Kassa added that the federal government does not owe them anymore as the debt has been cleared.
Another, Project Manager China Global Company Nigeria Limited, Mr. Chen Xian, the contractor handling the Bida-Lapai-Lambata highway revealed that the Federal Government has fully mobilized his company to the site.
Xian who lamented that scarcity of water, was currently a hindrance to the progress of their work with the onset of dry season, assured road users that the troubled spots would have been worked upon before the rainy season because a means of supplying water to the site would be found, adding that the entire job would be completed and delivered by December, 2022.
It would be recalled that during the presentation of the symbolic cheque for the 21 roads by the NNPC in the December 21, 2021 the Hon. Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola SAN noted that a governance process was being put in place and would require the Ministry to do certification of the certificates for jobs done promptly within five days.
Fashola at the occasion, said that as soon as the certificates were certified they would be escalated to the NNPC which would be required to pay within 30 days and that the staff of the Ministry has certain number of days within which to act to certify the certificates. This guarantees speed and eliminate bureaucratic delay in this jobs and its funding.
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