Reps Demand Timely Completion of $542m Abuja-Makurdi Road Project

The House of Representatives has asked the federal ministry of works and the contractor handling the $542 million Abuja-Keffi-Lafia-Makurdi road project to ensure that Nigerians get good value for their money sank into the contract.

The House committee on works, led by Abubakar Kabir-Abubakar, the chairmanstated this when it embarked on oversight tour and inspection of the ongoing project.

Abubakar insisted that the project must be delivered according to the stipulated timeline of April 2023 and quality envisaged.

The inspection tour which took off from the Kugbo end of the 4.5km reconstruction and expansion of the A-Y-A/Nyanya and ending at the boundary between Abuja and Nasarawa state gave member many of whom are experts in civil engineering, the opportunity to asked critical questions regarding the design, quality of materials and the width of the lanes and shoulder, as well as the thickness of the road.

The committee proceeded to the Keffi – Akwanga section of the project at kilometer 19 between Gudi village and Akwanga, where lawmakers reiterated the need no ensure that every kobo appropriated is well accounted for through the quality of job to be delivered.

They asked why the project was being done in an un-uniform manner with some sections jumped over with work continuing ahead.

Henry Usor, an official from the road sector development unit of the ministry of works said compensation issues were responsible for such staggered implementation.

Usor said the Ministry only takes charge of portions on which compensations had been paid and ask the Contractor to commence work, adding building and commercial facilities such as fuel stations can only be demolished after compensation issues are settled.

He assured that whatever issues and observations raised by the Committee on the job done so far would be noted and corrections ensured by the Contractor before the project is taken over by the Ministry.

According to him, the project has an entire length of 454 km and being handled, by the China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), adding that 39km of ashfalt work has been achieved with a total work rate of 72 percent done.

Speaking to journalists after the inspection on the outskirts of Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, the committee’s chairman, Abubakar said the project, which cost about $542 million, is counter-funded by the China Exim Bank as well as the Chinese and Nigerian Governments.

He said the Chinese were contributing 85 percent of the funding, while Nigeria completed the remaining 15 percent, insisting that, there must be no compromise on the quality of the job that would be delivered at the end of the project and must be commensurate to money spent.

“There should be no compromise in terms of quality, standard and time delivery. I said this because we made adequate budgetary provisions for this project in the 2022 appropriation, so there should be no excuse as to why the work would be delayed any further.

“The 2023 budget will come in any moment from now, and this oversight is necessary for us to know how what was allocated last year was utilised for us to determine what’s needed and how to give approval,” he said.

The ministry of works through Usor assured that the project would be delivered within the stipulated time.

“The job would be completed in record time, going by the progress we have achieved so far. I believe we should be able to complete it by the time we come to the end of the project duration in April 2023,” Usor stated.

According to him, the initial completion time given was 36 months, while the final completion time was 48 months.

He said when completed, the road would cut down travel time and reduce accidents.

“When completed, it would have a lot of advantages.If you are moving from Abuja to the southeast and southern part of the country, this would be a better option for you to take through,” he said.

He said the project was awarded in 2017 but work started in 2019, because of its engineering, procurement and construction component.

“So you award and do the procurement and do the design and then before you start the actual physical construction,” he said.

The project manager, Li Qaingqiang, also assured the project would be completed in April 2023.

He said when the road is completed it will greatly reduce the accident rate and create safe travel conditions for residents along the route, adding that the project will create at least 3,000 jobs, which is conducive to stimulating investment and consumption along the project corridor.

“We are targeting to complete the project by April 2023 with sufficient budget allocation next year and we would ensure the road is in proper condition before it is handed over, ” Qaingqiang said.