By Abubakar Yunusa
David Umahi, minister of works, says the federal government has attained significant milestones in its infrastructure development efforts.
Speaking with State House correspondents after the federal executive council (FEC) meeting on Tuesday, the minister said 330 emergency roads and bridges have reached 80 percent completion.
He said the projects are valued at over N500 billion, adding that the ministry of finance has fully released N300 billion for the completion of the projects.
“Let me announce that the 330 emergency repairs of roads and bridges across the country, valued at over N500 billion, is about 80 percent completed and the ministry of finance has fully released N300 billion for the projects and we are going to publish by next week the full details and the level of completion,” he said.
“Also the PIDF (Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund) projects are the Abuja to Kano, the Lagos to Ibadan and the Second Niger Bridge.
“The Abuja to Kano has been dismembered into three, with two for tax credit by Dangote and BUA and the other by Julius Berger.
“Berger has moved back to the site and the other tax credit contractors will be mobilised by next week.”
Umahi said the council approved all three memoranda for several ongoing projects, including the construction of Umulungbe-Umuoka road in Enugu state, the repair of the Iganmu bridge in Lagos, and the dualisation of Calabar-Odupkani-Itu road in Cross River.
“Today in FEC we have three approvals for review of ongoing projects. The first one was the review for the construction of Umulungbe-Umuoka road in Enugu state. It was approved for review from N6.245 billion to N8.85 billion, about a N2.6 billion addition,” he said.
“We had the review of the repair of Iganmu bridge in Lagos state. It’s reviewed from N1.16 billion to N2.229 billion.
“The last one was approval for the dualisation of the Calabar to Odupkani to Itu Road in Cross River State. It was changed from flexible pavement to rigid pavement, dualised with improved soft structure engagement. It is reviewed from N79.649 billion to N118.412 billion.
“There is also approval for the immediate procurement of full rehabilitation of the road in Katsina state. That is the road on the Katsina-Dustsenma-Maraban road in Katsina state and it is approved for immediate selective procurement.”