THE Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the construction of 14 roads and bridges, which were badly affected by floods, in Ekiti State, Adamawa, Kebbi and Enugu States.
Works Minister David Unahi said this while addressing State House correspondents after the FEC meeting. He said the others are in Cross River State, Ondo State, Osun State, Ebonyi, Abia and Imo states.
He said the roads were awarded, in addition to a contract for the repair and rehabilitation of Gamboru Bridge along Gambor-Ngala/Kala-Balge Road in Bornu.
The minister said FEC also approved a new contract for the rehabilitation of Maraban-Kankara/Funtua Road in Katsina State and construction of 258 kilometer three-lane carriageway, a component of the 1,000 Sokoto/Badagry Super-highway, Section 2, Phase 2A.
Likewise, he said FEC approved the contract for the construction and dualisation of Afikpo-Uturu-Okigwe Road in Ebonyi, Abia and Imo States (Section 2).
He said FEC similarly approved the contract for Bodo-Bonny Road in Rivers, to be executed by Julius Berger.
“FEC approved additional N80 billion to complete that project, bringing the total cost to N280 billion.
“The next is the Third Mainland Bridge, which was executed under emergency work,” he said.
He said at the time the present government assumed office, the Third Mainland Bridge was a nightmare.
“The deck had pavement differential of over one foot; that was causing a lot of accidents and hold up, and constituting dead load to the Third Mainland Bridge.
“So, that has been done and it also extended to Falamo and Queens Drive. It came with solar light, CCTV cameras and relief stations, to eliminate road blockage,” he said.
He explained that when he came on board, Julius Berger sought to review the entire projects.
“Don’t forget that the initial cost of the projects was N155 billion and the past administration reviewed it to N797 billion. “Berger insisted that the reviewed contract sum should to N1.5 trillion. We didn’t have that money and the Coordinating Minister for the economy and myself went through the road and had strategic meeting with Berger,” said Umahi. (NAN)
