The decision was announced by the Minister of Works, David Umahi, during a press briefing following the FEC meeting.
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the construction of 14 roads and bridges in states severely impacted by recent floods, including Ekiti, Adamawa, Kebbi, and Enugu.
The decision was announced by the Minister of Works, David Umahi, during a press briefing following the FEC meeting.
Umahi explained that the approved projects also include road constructions in Cross River, Ondo, Osun, Ebonyi, Abia, and Imo states. Notably, the council awarded a contract for the repair and rehabilitation of the Gamboru Bridge, located along the Gambor-Ngala/Kala-Balge Road in Borno State.
Meanwhile, the FEC approved the rehabilitation of the Maraban-Kankara/Funtua Road in Katsina State and the construction of a 258-kilometer three-lane carriageway, a key component of the larger 1000-kilometer Sokoto/Badagry Super-highway, Section 2, Phase 2A.
However, the FEC sanctioned the dualisation of the Afikpo-Uturu-Okigwe Road, which spans Ebonyi, Abia, and Imo states (Section 2).
The contract for the Bodo-Bonny Road in Rivers State was also approved, with Julius Berger set to execute the project. An additional N80 billion was allocated to this endeavor, increasing the total cost to N280 billion.
He stated that when the current government took office, the Third Mainland Bridge was in dire condition.
“The deck had a pavement differential of over one foot, which was causing numerous accidents and traffic congestion, adding significant stress to the bridge,” he explained.
“This issue extended to Falamo and Queens Drive and was addressed with the installation of solar lights, CCTV cameras, and relief stations to alleviate road blockages,” he added.
He noted that upon his arrival, Julius Berger aimed to reassess all ongoing projects.
“It’s important to remember that the initial project cost was N155 billion, but the previous administration increased it to N797 billion. Julius Berger then insisted that the revised contract sum should be N1.5 trillion. We didn’t have that budget, so the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and I held strategic meetings with Berger,” Umahi explained.
He sought the President’s approval to divide the projects into three sections, allowing two to be completed through tax credits while Julius Berger would handle one.
“The first section is 38 kilometers long and is yet to be presented to the Council; it will be built with concrete. The second section, managed by Berger, spans 82 kilometers and will utilize asphalt, which they have experience working with. The third section, which is 17 kilometers, will also be constructed with concrete,” he siad.
Umahi explained that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved Julius Berger’s project with a total contract sum of N740 billion, but the other two sections were not submitted for approval.
“Subtracting the approximately N400 billion paid by the previous administration, what remains is about N340 billion. That is the approved contract sum for the 164 kilometers,” he stated.
The minister also noted that FEC approved the construction of a service lane on the Lekki Deep Seaport road.
However, he discovered that over 3000 fuel trucks waiting to load fuel at the Dangote Refinery were parked on the newly constructed Lekki-Calabar coastal highway.
“By design, these roads were not built to support static loads, leading to various structural issues.”
He said that the FEC approved the concessioning of Federal Government land in the area to allow for the construction of a parking facility for the trucks.
“This park will have a toll system, providing a safe place for the trucks to park. The pavement in such a facility will be designed differently from that of the roadway,” Umahi added.
