Road projects to gulp N87.538bn, says FG

Chinazor Megbolu

The Federal Government has said that road projects in the country will gulp the total sum of N87.538 billion.

The said amount was approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for road projects in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Benue, Oyo and Nasarawa States.

The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), disclosed this at FEC’s virtual meeting, which was presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Fashola hinted that the two memoranda he presented to the council were approved, stating that FEC approved a variation of N47.504 billion for the completion of the 52 kilometers-Oyo-Ogbomosho highway, which is a partly the Ilorin-Ibadan 145 kilometers highway.

He also noted that the variation had raised the total contract to N105.041 billion.

According to him; “we needed to adjust some things in the scope of work, the thickness of the pavement from 500mm to 560mm to also change the asphalt to polymer-modified bitumen and also the shoulders from surface dressing to fully asphalted inside and outside shoulder.

“So, all these required changes in prices of N47.504 billion and this has increased the total contract to N105.041 billion.

“This was the revision that we presented, which the council approved.

“This road was awarded in 2010. As I said, sections 1 and 3 were completed. We are trying to complete section 2 which we also inherited”.

Fashola buttressed that the FEC also approved a N9.348 billion variation to complete Lokko-Oweto Bridge that links Nasarawa to Benue States, adding the development had altered the contract price from N51.621 billion to N60.961 billion.

“The second similar project which we are trying to  complete is the Lokko-Oweto Bridge. That is the bridge across the River Benue that links Nasarawa and Benue states and provides a major time saving detour, about four hours, for people trying to come from south south, Benue, through to Nasarawa to Abuja.

“That project was awarded in 2011 and it was awarded in three different sections – one section, the road to Benue…to Oweto, was awarded to one contractor, we have completed that road. The bridge was awarded to another contractor, the bridge is essentially finished now. It’s open to traffic.

“And then, Lokko to Nasarawa, 74 kilometers was awarded to another contractor. We are trying to sort out that problem and we will come back to it.

“So, the approval given today was a N9.348 billion variation to complete the bridge component or remaining work on the bridge. If you go there now, it’s already opened to traffic, finishing and …work to link the existing road in the Benue side to the bridge is what we got this variation for.

“So, changes in contract price from N51.621 billion to N60.961 billion. As I said, even though we haven’t finished the road side on the Nasarawa side, the commuters are already using the road because it provides a huge detour going through Lafia, Keffi to come to Nasarawa and to Abuja,” Fashola said.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Mohammed Bello also told newsmen that the FEC approved a major road projects in the FCT to Gilmor Engineering Nigeria Limited, at the sum of N30,686,609,298.68 to be completed within 32 months.

“Federal Executive Council (FEC), approved the award of contract for the full scope development of Arterial Road N20, from Northern Parkway (N8) Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Way to the Northern Express Way (ONEX)/Metals Mohammed Way-North with the Federal Capital City, Abuja.

“The contract is awarded today to Messrs Gilmor Engineering Nigeria Limited, at the same of N30,686,609,298.68 with a completion period of 32 months,” Mohammed said.