The Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi has promised to tackle all mitigating factors hindering the completion of the long-awaited Abuja -Kaduna road and hence delivering it this year (2024).
Umahi announced this on Thursday, January 4, 2024, in a meeting with all directors of the Ministry in Abuja.
He disclosed that the contractors had requested a review of the price to N1.35 trillion to finance the project.
“We have about 1.7 kilometers left of Abuja-Kaduna in two sections. The ministry has some supervision work to be done on that road and we will be advised on the real designs of the two sections.
“Funding is also an issue because it is under the presidential development fund initiative gotten from looted funds. I have had to discuss with Mr president about the importance of the road for all users.
“But I won’t be able to go back to him until we re-scope it because the project was N165 billion before and a review brought the cost to N655 billion but today the contractor is asking for N1.35 trillion and the government cannot afford it.
“What they are asking for is very wrong. We are looking at existing sub-grade and see what we can do about it.
“We are also looking at the first 40km to be constructed by Dangote under the Tax credit scheme to do it on concrete pavement but I am very committed to completing that road this year. No matter what happens, that road will be done this year,” he said.
The Minister told the Directors that they were the engine room of the ministry, “you decide whether the ministry will move forward or not. The problem we have with our ministry is that, if you are working, it will show, if you are not performing, it will show.
“The roads we have constructed and those on ground, these are the yardsticks upon which we are being measured”, he said.
Urging them to have the fear of God in handling the assignment of the ministry, Umahi disclosed that the President had made available the needed funds for the execution of road contracts, but that there was a need for a review of the contract terms due to previous experiences.
“There is need to review our project agreements and costs. When we give the right costing, the little resources we have will be able to go a long way towards meeting the expectations. We are to review what has been so disadvantageous to our road construction,” Umahi said.
Tasking the directors and contractors on integrity, the Minister identified bad construction method, poor supervision, substandard materials as the foremost challenges of road contract execution in the country.
Speaking on key areas of focus of the ministry, he said that if the ministry was given N892 billion to carry out its operations, no money would be left unutilised by December 2024.
“It means commitment and it will be properly utilised, it will be transparent for everybody to see.
“And the end of the transparency is in the quality of the roads, the length of the roads and how much it costs”, the Minister said.
