By Daniel Tyokua
The Federal Government has said a total sum of four hundred and thirty -one billion naira is earmarked for dualization of roads nationwide.
Minister of Works, Engr David Umahi made the announcement on Thursday in Abuja, during a meeting with contractors and zonal Directors handling road dualization.
In a statement issued by Mrs. Blessing Lere-Adams, Director Information in the ministry, said Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPCL) will be funding 50% of the contract sum, which goes up to 2025.
The statement reads: “Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is funding 50% percent of the contract sum and that funding goes up to 2025.
“We have N431b of money that is ready for contractors to clear but there is no certificate for it , if you are doing a job under Phase 1, make effort to make claims , if your job involves augmentation go back to your Regional Director for understanding before I sign the certificate , any certificate I sign now , I have to take account for it even when I have left office “
Umahi asked the contractors to stick to one lane if their job has not gone up to 50% completion; he said he had also come up with Performance Bond meaning that all new projects would be guaranteed for 10years.
He urged all contractors that have built roads that cannot last up to ten years to write to the Ministry to either stop work or rebuild the road to last 10years.
The Minister warned contractors that he would not entertain stories of failures on the roads due to overloading.
He enjoined all the contractors to cooperate with him on building roads with concrete technology as it was done both in India and Singapore.
Umahi said this administration has 1800kilometre of roads, and inherited a contract sum of about N14.1 trillion and out of which N4trillion is being paid in all the projects , some of the projects have lasted between 10 to 20years.
The Minister said some contractors have jerked up the contractor sum by hundred percent and was the reason they are not getting paid.
“We are going back to the original concept of the projects and the necessity of any additional works and also see how we get a fair deal, expecting an endorsement from the Ministry of what is not acceptable to Nigerian Society of Engineers is not possible “ The Minister said.
