The Senate Committee Chairman on Works, Senator, Barinada Mpigi has stated that the Senate is prepared to fully back actions that hold contractors accountable and put an end to practices that delay the impact of the present administration’s infrastructure delivery goals.
He maintained that Nigerians deserve nothing short of the best in road infrastructure deliverables and urged stakeholders to uphold their responsibilities in this regard.
The Senate committee chairman stated this during an investigative hearing of the Senate Committee on Works on contractors’ slow pace of work on the Odukpani-Aba-Odukpani-Ikot Ekpene and other sections ending at Benin, including the Odukpani-Itu Highway, the Eket Bypass, Port Harcourt – Ahoada, Ahoada – Kaiama, and Port Harcourt – Onne Junction Sections of the East-West Road, carried out by the Senate Committee on Works held at the Senate building, National Assembly Complex Abuja, commended the bold steps of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in tackling the challenges that inhibit road infrastructure development in Nigeria.
He commended the Federal Ministry of Works for the technical innovations they have brought to the construction industry and warned that it was no longer business as usual for contractors to collect tax payers’ money and would delay in completing the projects they contracted to do or do a substandard job.
The committee chairman said, “In addition to his technical innovations, Senator Umahi has demonstrated remarkable decisiveness in identifying and addressing non-performing contracts.
According to him, his actions in revoking underperforming agreements and ensuring that public funds are redirected to more capable contractors reflect a deep commitment to the Renewed Hope Agenda of this administration.
He noted that: “This agenda prioritizes infrastructure as the backbone of economic revitalization, and we, in the Senate, will support every step taken to ensure its success.”
The committee chairman decried the hardship contractors’ behaviour has caused road users. “This deplorable condition has resulted in devastating consequences. Precious lives have been lost, not just on the highway but also among those forced to seek alternative routes through treacherous river crossings. The tragic accident near the Mini Itu bridgehead in Odukpani Local Government Area, which claimed five lives, is a stark reminder of the urgency of this issue.” He warned that the era of such behaviours of contractors had gone.
“Contractors, including RCC, have received substantial funds, including the N15 billion that was injected into this project, yet delivery remains elusive. The other stretch of the East-West Road has contractors like RCC, Setraco, and Gitto who have been paid billions, yet the pace of work is far from acceptable”.
Speaking at the event, the Minister of Works, Engr David Umahi thanked the Senate leadership, Senate Committee on Works and indeed the 10th NASS for placing a watch on the contractors to ensure value for money, speedy and quality delivery of all the road projects of this administration.
He commended President Bola Tinubu for giving priority attention to the completion of the inherited ongoing projects and for the vision that informed the initiative to construct the four Legacy projects cutting across the 6 Geo-Political Zones.
The minister noted the impediments to the execution of the ongoing projects but assured that Mr. President was tackling the situation.
He said, “It’s very rare for a President to come on board, and he decided to ignore new projects and decided to take on all the inherited projects and do them at the same time. It’s very rare.” On funding, he said, “And we have a country where we want to make an omelet, but we don’t want to strike an egg. The projects of roads can not and will never be executed to the satisfaction of the public by using budgetary allocations. There must be different kinds of funding. These different kinds of funding must have to come from either bond or loan to do the job. But the public is saying, no, the President is taking a loan. But, the President is taking a loan to invest in infrastructure development. And that’s what every developed country follows”.
Umahi spoke of the efforts made by the Ministry on the Odukpani-Aba-Odukpani-Ikot Ekpene road, “And so we modified it and then put stronger sub base and then we increased the thickness of the asphalt pavement so that we can finish the existing pavement as quickly as possible. But the new carriageway, if we have money, will be built on rigid pavement. This is the reason. And so we have to agree with them. They have to make a promise before the Senate that they will mobilize on three sections doing exactly the same work”.
Meanwhile, the Senate Committee on Works has given Julius Berger Plc an ultimatum to appear before it on 6th December 2024. In a motion moved and adopted during the investigative hearing, the Senate resolved that it would have no option but to issue a warrant of arrest on Julius Berger Plc should it fail to appear before it as scheduled.
Moving the motion, a member of the Committee, Sen. Asuquo Ekpenyong said, “Messrs. Julius Berger Nigeria Limited is not here. Now, my understanding is that Messrs. Julius Berger Nigeria Plc bidded, was selected, and awarded this job. Funds from taxpayers across this country were disbursed to them. Our understanding is that they showed up on-site for a brief period and have since abandoned the site. It is our collective resolve as a committee that under the new Minister’s rule, Julius Berger should be produced to this committee in 24 hours by 2 p.m, the 6th of December, 2024, a failure of which will lead to our invoking our constitutional powers and issuing a warrant of arrest on Messrs. Julius Berger Nigeria Plc”
The meeting had in attendance, the members of the Committee, the Minister of Works, Sen. Engr. Nweze David Umahi, with his management team and concerned contractors including, CCECC, RCC, SAMATECH, GITTO and SETRACO.
