N110bn Palliative Road Projects Begin Dec 1 — Umahi

The Federal Government has approved ₦110bn for immediate palliative works on roads in 36 States of the Federation and FCT.

The Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, who disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, said President Bola Tinubu was aware of the terrible condition of roads since his assumption of office.

He added that the President had since reeled out plans of commitment, consistence, and innovations towards actualising a sustainable road infrastructure development throughout the country.

He explained that the President just approved the 2023 Supplementary Budget of ₦300bn for the Ministry of Works comprising of ₦110bn for immediate palliative works in 36 States and FCT and ₦N200bn for continuation of most of the inherited ongoing projects and very few new but critical road projects.

“Mr President has directed that works in those palliative projects must be commenced before 1st December 2023, while observing all due process.

“On the sections being frequently complained of by the public in all regions of the North and South of the country, Mr. President has equally isolated them and directed immediate actions on them and indeed work has started on all such roads. The public can crosscheck our claims and report back to us.

“The Federal Ministry of Works is very concerned with the supervision of our projects and effective 1st of December 2023, there will be a revolution in the ways and methods the Federal Ministry of Works supervises her projects nationwide and all concerned are hereby put on notice as the Ministry will not spare anyone found culpable in his or her assignment,” Umahi stated.

The Minister added that Directors of Works of the 36 States and FCT and FERMA have been directed to audit all projects in their States and FCT especially equipment on and off sites with their pictures, personnel of contractors, status of all projects including financial status (contract sum, date of award, period of construction and time table, amount paid, challenges, percentage of work completion, augmentation of project if any, VOP claims, etc).

He stated: “this assignment must be completed before 30th November 2023. Note that this directive was given since the past two months.”

He thanked the President for his directive that all inherited projects from the past administration be continued while sourcing funds for the completion of ongoing projects.

Speaking on the use of asphalt and concrete pavement in road infrastructure, he said the federal government will not back down on the policy provided it does not violate any law.

He said those complaining and demarketing the policy “are simply those who do not wish Nigeria well and they are the same people that use adulterated bitumen in their projects while putting pressure on our naira through the importation of adulterated bitumen instead of developing our abundant God given bitumen deposits in Ogun State and other parts of Nigeria.

“Insofar as this new policy has not violated any law, the Federal Ministry of Works is forging ahead with this new policy.

“As at today, most of the ongoing projects are still ongoing with asphalt pavement in line with this new policy while some are redesigned on concrete pavement, depending on the terrain and with full understanding of the
affected contractors of those projects.”