Minister Frowns at Slow Pace of Enugu-Onitsha Road Construction, Orders Action | RCC & Nigercat

ENUGU - ONITSHA ROAD CONSTRUCTION: FEDERAL MINISTRY OF WORKS REVIEWS PERFORMANCE, FROWNS AT SLOW PACE OF WORK BY RCC AND NIGERCAT, DIRECTS ENFORCEMENT OF OPERATION FREE OUR ROADS
1. In furtherance of Federal Government’s directive on review of performance of all inherited ongoing and new road projects nationwide and as part of efforts to alleviate the sufferings of road users, the Honourable Minister of Works, His Excellency, Sen. Engr. Nweze David Umahi, CON has directed the contractors handling the construction of the 107km Enugu - Onitsha road dualization to brace up for the implementation of the policies of the Renewed Hope administration with respect to speed and quality of work, commitment to project execution and care for the comfort of road users by maintaining one carriageway of the dual carriageway under construction to mitigate the sufferings of road users. This directive came during a crucial meeting of the Ministry with MTN that is funding the construction of Enugu - Onitsha road dualization under Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Scheme, the representatives of the Government of Enugu State and the two contractors handling the project under the Tax Credit scheme - RCC Ltd and Nigercat Ltd, held at the Ministry’s Headquarters, Mabushi- Abuja on 8th August 2024.
2. The Honourable Minister while recalling that the Enugu - Onitsha dual carriageway is being funded by MTN under the Tax Credit Scheme expressed disappointment on the condition of the road under construction and blamed the sufferings of the road users on lack of commitment and sheer insensitivity of the contractors on the plight of the road users. He said, “The MTN has engaged the subcontractors, two subcontractors, RCC Ltd and Nigercat Ltd. The first time I supervised that project, I discovered that the Nigercat section where we have a binder course had failed. I directed that the binder course must be scarified and reinstated, and I knew it was inherited. I want to believe that it has been done.” He stated, “Let me express my disappointment over the slow pace of work on that project. It's one of the worst roads in this country. Everywhere we have diversion; diverting from the one that RCC and the Nigercat had completed, the contractors are not kind enough to even put stone based on the diversion points. So, by the reason of the launching of our Operation Free our Roads, it is now a violation of policy on the side of the controllers and directors of the Federal Ministry of Works where we have vehicles falling on any project that is ongoing or where there are pot holes on our roads” He further said, “Last Sunday, I inspected that road with the Governor of Enugu State and we saw the level of suffering of people at the Abakpa section of that road where RCC Ltd was putting binder, about 3.5 km of the road, and they blocked it. And so everybody now resorted to using one carriageway which is not even maintained. And so some people stayed there for five hours and that is not acceptable. I have continued to say that Nigerians should not be suffering while contractors are building roads for our people. It does not happen in any other country, the way it happens in Nigeria. The public must know that the President's intention is not for them to suffer while trying to fix the roads, and it is their right to insist that contractors should fix the roads that they are engaged on. Most of the time, contractors bring very serious nuisances, hardships, and pains to the public, and they don't care.”
3. He thanked the government of Enugu State for their resolve to fund the construction of 20km Abakpa junction to Akama (9th Mile) section of Enugu - Onitsha road on rigid pavement and the construction of a flyover bridge at Abakpa junction to be refunded through MTN Tax Credit. He expressed hope that MTN would still execute the construction of the second phase of the 107km x 2 road dualization. He added, “Why Enugu State government is intervening is because of the slow pace of work by the contractors and because of funding issues. The essence of tax credit is for funds to be made available. And so, I don't see RCC going to keep to their promise to finish this project in 6 months. My advice to MTN is to look for another contractor within that axis if they want to get the job done. Division of labour is even the best. While they are doing the road, and if Nigercat is doing a good job, you can give them greater scope to do if you want to finish that job.”
4. He warned that contractors delaying jobs are on their own as Federal Government, as a matter of policy, would not accept a phased handover of projects and has phased out VOP in contract administration. He maintained that the contractors must in line with the Renewed Hope agenda maintain all roads handled by them until they are fully completed and handed over to Federal Government. He further said to RCC Ltd, “When where you are working is almost going bad,...

[@proyouservicesltd3652]

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[@babssloans7945]

The hardest working man in nigerian govt

[@proyouservicesltd3652]

Enugu -Onitsha is not just slow, the contractor RCC has abandoned the project for months now.

[@folorunsoolufemi1932]

what you don't know, don't say it.

[@proyouservicesltd3652]

@@folorunsoolufemi1932 Your name suggest you from SW, how can you know better than me that hails from the region where this project is being carried out?

[@joshezeh]

@@folorunsoolufemi1932shut your mouth if you don’t know any reasonable thing to say

[@suntanglory]

The project has been abandoned.If only ministry of works is building these roads themselves through direct labour,.Then you have the power and control over the job unlike giving out the job to foreign constractors.Why can't ministry of works buy road building equipments,dredge sharp sand and gey rocks and employ nigerian youths to build these roads?The foreign contractors are getting sand from Nigeria,stones from Nigeria yet Nigeria pay them billions for doing what?That billions would transform the lives of many youths and Nigerian economy if used to build these roads instead of foreign contractors.

[@joshezeh]

@@suntanglory many of you Nigerians complained of poor road quality for some governors that tried this.