The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Works, Dr. Abubakar Muhammad, on Monday urged Nigerians, especially users of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, to be patient with the contractors handling the reconstruction of the road as they had already been mobilised to site.
Reacting to the complaint of inactivity on the road, Muhammad said the contractors were tiding up the necessary modalities and carrying out site clearing to ensure quality and speedy work.
The Federal Government had contracted the reconstruction of the Lagos-Sagamu section of the road to Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, while it awarded the Sagamu-Ibadan section to Reynolds Construction Company.
Muhammad spoke in an exclusive interview with our correspondent in Ilorin on the sidelines of the 20th National Council of Works with the theme, ‘Reforming the road sector for sustainable economic development.’
He also said arrangements for the commencement of work on the Second Niger Bridge had been concluded.
The permanent secretary said it was just left for the consortium handling the project to mobilise to site and kick-start the project, adding that work would soon commence on the bridge.
Muhammad said, “Work on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway has started because it was inaugurated by President Goodluck Jonathan. That road is in two sections. The contractors are mobilised to site and work is already in progress.
“Work has to start on a skeletal basis as the contractors cannot start full force or 100 per cent. They must start from clearing of the road. The way it is now, there are certain areas they must remove. So, the work has started in earnest because the ministry has made sure that some mobilisation was done for the contractors.
“Anxious Nigerians who want speedy completion of the road should be patient, and very soon, they will see impact on that road.”
The Kwara State Commissioner for Works and Transport, Dr. Abubakar Amuda-Kannike, while welcoming delegates, said the Kwara State Government had adopted unique funding strategies to ensure regular payment of contractors to prevent project abandonment.
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