Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, says the federal government will give greater opportunities to indigenous contractors in the country’s construction and rehabilitation of federal roads.
Senator Umahi disclosed this on Friday when he gave a pass mark to Trutech Global Investment Services Limited, the contracting firm handling four failed sections of the East-West road between Uhweru and Patani during his inspection of rehabilitation projects of federal roads in Delta State.
The four failed sections of the East-West road between Uhweru and Patani, being handled by Trutech Global Investment Services Limited, an indigenous contracting firm involves the construction of multiple culverts on the four critical sections of the road, raising the road level and construction approach road of continuous reinforced concrete pavement (CRCP) with retaining walls at the embankment.
The Minister for Works, Senator Umahi who expressed satisfaction with the pace of work said the four critical sections affected by flooding are among the ten different washouts from PortHarcourt on the East-West Road, which his ministry is providing multiple culverts.
He disclosed that the remedial work is part of the 2023 Supplementary Appropriation and scored the contractor 97 percent for the job done so far.
Senator Umahi said the federal government would demonstrate courage in terminating non-performing contractors whether indigenous or expatriate to relieve the people of the difficulty they face daily in plying the road.
He advised the contractor to speed up work to ensure completion before the rainy season even as the federal government expands the scope of the job to include the installation of solar lights in the section of the road as part of the signatures of President Bola Tinubu.
“We are raising the road level above the flood level and we are also using concrete pavement to do it. This is part of the 2023 Supplementary Appropriation and indigenous contractor, Trutech Global Investment Services Limited has done very, very well.
“I’m impressed with work quality, about 70 per cent excellent. We just observed something minor. And I am very proud of the indigenous contractor. The contractor has to do a little more. He has been mobilised. Not even a kobo has been given to him but he has given an award letter.
“We are very grateful for what he is doing. It means he is feeling the plight of the people and he has not placed money ahead of the interest of the people,” said Umahi.
Engineer Adesola Adetoro of Trutech Global Investment Services Limited assured the minister of full compliance with the project specifications while working to ensure early completion.
During the inspection, the Works Minister directed that the contractor handling the failed section at Ologbo, the boundary between Delta and Edo States be immediately issued a notice of contract termination for the slow pace of work.
He expressed displeasure with the progress of work by the contractor, Geld Construction Ltd, and directed that after one week if the contractor did not commence the construction of continuous reinforced concrete pavement (CRCP), the contract would be terminated.
Senator Umahi lamented the suffering of road users and faulted the contractor for attributing the slow pace of work on-site to the high cost of cement.
On section three of the Benin-Warri road, the contracting firm, SKECC Nigeria Limited, has commenced the construction of continuous reinforced concrete pavement (CRCP) and has completed 500 meters.
Though satisfied with the progress of work, the Minister directed the contractor to relocate within seven days to where the road is very bad instead of working on areas of the road that are still stable or face termination of the contract.
Senator Umahi at the Amukpe roundabout end of the ongoing dualisation of the Sapele-Eku-Agbor road directed the contracting firm, CGC Nigeria Limited to discontinue for now the dualisation until it finishes one carriageway of the project as well as rescope the job.
He told the contractor, “The existing carriageway should be worked upon. Do not continue with the dualisation until we have finished one carriageway. There is no need to continue the two carriageways when we don’t have money to even finish one.
“I am directing that you (CGC Nigeria Limited) to rescope the job. We are not stopping the dualisation but we are phasing it. We finish the existing lane, make it motorable for people and then we go into the other one.”
The project is 110.6 kilometres with a percentage completion presently at 12.9%.
