By Daniel Tyokua
The Minister of Works, David Umahi has listed key areas to be used as procedure in providing and maintaining road infrastructure nationwide.
He identified some of the new policies to include good stabilized and tested subgrade, sub-base course before pavement placement and expose subgrade, sub-base and base course to 60 days vehicular movement and continuous sheep-foot rolling before pavement placement.
Umahi stated this when the leadership of Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) led by its National president, Tasiu Wudil paid him a visit, yesterday.
This is contained in a statement issued on Friday by the Chief Press Secretary to the minister, Uchenna Orji.
He said there was the need for
introduction of reinforced concrete road pavement in most roads carriageway and shoulders, continuous maintenance of all roads under construction throughout the life of the project
under contract.
Umahi also said effective design of road infrastructure anchored on detailed report of environmental site conditions and geotechnical report must be taken more serious
The statement reads in part: “Community relations in terms of keeping roads motorable under the period of the contract”
Umahi disclosed that supervision was necessary in the actualization of quality delivery of road construction whether concrete pavement or asphalt, noting that each of the two models has its own attendant conditions.
“When you start to compare asphalt and concrete, it is if all things are equal, here all things are not equal, there are many factors why we are talking about concrete”.
He noted that the stand of the Ministry is not about comparing asphalt and concrete pavement but using either of them, there are conditions attached to them.
In his remarks, the President of Nigerian Society of Engineers ( NSE) said the aim of the courtesy call was to seek areas of collaboration.
He described the Minister as a round beg in a round hole since after his assumption of office.
Wudil said: “we have been monitoring hi progress, and I must tell you we are not surprised, what you did as Governor in Ebonyi State is amazing. We visited you when you were the Governor of Ebonyi State and I am going to visit your Governor now. I must go because it is like a pilgrimage…. Infact Your Excellency, we are proud of you”
