The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the award of contracts worth N169.74 billion for the construction and rehabilitation of 10 roads across the country.
The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, disclosed this yesterday in a statement by his Special Adviser on Communication, Mr. Hakeem Bello.
Fashola said the projects would enhance the federal government’s objective of improving transportation infrastructure and restoring the country’s road network as part of the government’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP).
The approval, which followed a memorandum presented to FEC by Fashola on May 2, covered the rehabilitation of the Umuahia (Ikwuano)-Ikot Ekpene Road, Umuahia, Umudike in Abia State; rehabilitation of Calabar-Oban-Ekang Road (Section 1) in Cross River State; construction of Yola-Fufore-Gurin Road in Adamawa State; rehabilitation of Ado-Ekiti –Igede-Aramoko-Itawure Road in Ekiti State; and rehabilitation of Funtua-Dandume-Kaduna State Border Road in Katsina State.
Others are the rehabilitation of Makurdi-Gboko-Katsina-Ala Road (Yandev-Katsina-Ala Section) in Benue State; rehabilitation of Old Enugu-Onitsha Road (Opi Junction-Ukehe-Okpatu-Aboh Udi-Oji to Anambra Border); rehabilitation and dualisation of the 74-kilometre Aba-Ikot Ekpene Road in Abia/Akwa Ibom states; construction of four-kilometre township road in Gaya Local Government Area of Kano State; and rehabilitation of Billiri-Filiya-Taraba State Border Road in Gombe State.
The statement said the Umuahia (Ikwuano)-Ikot Ekpene road was awarded to Messrs Hartland Nigeria Limited/Raycon and Company Nigeria Limited in the sum of N13,296,283,958.68 with a completion date of 48 months, the rehabilitation of Calabar-Oban-Ekang road (Section1) in Cross River State was awarded to Messrs Setraco Nigeria Limited in the sum of N27,781,851,866.55 with a completion date of 24 months, while the construction of Yola-Furore-Gurin road (approximately 56 kilometres) was awarded to Messrs Wiz China Worldwide Engineering Limited in the sum of N13,643,670,884.81 with a completion date of 12 months.
Rehabilitation of Ado-Ekiti–Igede-Aramoko-Itawure road in Ekiti State (approximately 35 kolometres) was awarded to Messrs Deux Projects Limited/Hitech Construction Company Limited at N14,838,220,269.00 with a completion period of 30 months, while the rehabilitation of Funtua-Dandume-Kaduna State Border road in Katsina State was awarded to Messrs Rabash Enterprises Nigeria Limited/Afdin Construction Limited in the sum of N9,887,040,586.50 with a completion period of 24 months.
Fashola also revealed that Messrs Rockbridge Construction Limited will rehabilitate the about 43-kilometre Makurdi-Gboko-Katsina-Ala road (Yandev-Katsina-Ala Section) in 24 months at the cost of N11,892,018,600.00, Messrs Arab Contractors O.A.O Nigeria Limited will rehabilitate old Enugu-Onitsha road (Opi Junction-Ukehe-Okpatu-Aboh Udi-Oji to Anambra border) (Approximately 90 kilometres) in 24 months at the cost of N31,946,055,289.93, and Messrs CGGC Global Project will rehabilitate and dualise the Aba-Ikot Ekpene road in 24 months at the cost of N30,649,735,111.38.
Other projects in the award include the construction of a four-kilometre township road in Gaya Local Government Area of Kano State by Messrs Birak Engineering & Construction Company Limited in the sum of N1, 755,086,798.85 with a completion period of 12 months and the rehabilitation of Billiri-Filiya-Taraba State border road by Messrs Triacta Nigeria Limited to be completed within 24 months in the sum of N14, 048,396,236.88.
The minister said his ministry initiated the road projects in line with efforts to realise the federal government’s objective of restoring growth and investing in the people. He explained that the roads would help to open up settlements, provide access for evacuation of goods and services, and improve the socio-economic lives of the people within communities in the project areas.
Fashola said the 50-kilometre Umuahia (Ikwuano)-Ikot-Ekpene road would create between 180 and 200 jobs with 90 per cent of the jobs for Nigerians and 10 per cent for expatriates.
According to the statement, while the rehabilitation of the approximately 60-kilometre Calabar-Oban-Ekang road (Section1) in Cross River State, will generate between 400 and 500 jobs, with 40 per cent of the jobs for senior Nigerians and 60 per cent for intermediate workers, the construction of Yola-Furore-Gurin road in Adamawa State will generate no less than 300 jobs with 90 per cent reserved for Nigerians and 10 per cent for expatriates.
It said while between 200 and 250 workers would be employed in the rehabilitation of Ado-Ekiti –Igede-Aramoko-Itawure road in Ekiti State, with 90 per cent of the jobs to be handled by Nigerians and 10 per cent by expatriates, the rehabilitation of Funtua-Dandume-Kaduna State border road in Katsina State would generate 200 jobs, with 80 per cent for Nigerians and 20 per cent for expatriates.
The news release indicated that in the rehabilitation of Makurdi-Gboko-Katsina-Ala road (Yandev-Katsina-Ala Section) in Benue State, 100 workers would be employed, with 90 per cent of them Nigerians and 10 per cent expatriates, while between 400 and 500 workers would be employed in the rehabilitation of old Enugu-Onitsha road (Opi Junction-Ukehe-Okpatu-Aboh Udi-Oji to Anambra border) with Nigerians constituting 90 per cent while expatriates will make up the remaining 10 per cent of the workforce.
Fashola was also quoted as disclosing that the rehabilitation and dualisation of Aba-Ikot Ekpene road in Abia/Akwa Ibom states would generate 200 jobs, with Nigerians taking 80 per cent of the jobs and expatriates taking 10 per cent. While 200 workers would be employed in the construction of the four-kilometre township road in Gaya Local Government Area of Kano State, with 10 per cent of the jobs to be done by expatriates and 90 per cent by Nigerians, the rehabilitation of Billiri-Filiya-Taraba State border road in Gombe State will generate 300 jobs, with 90 per cent for Nigerians and expatriates making up the remaining 10 per cent of the workforce.
The minister also revealed the scope of work to be done in each of the projects, detailing the procurement processes that began under the 2018 Appropriation with newspaper advertisements in July 2018, and culminating in the certification and issuance of a Due Process Certificate of “No Objection” for each of the 10 projects by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP).
Source: THISDAY
