Minister of works and housing, Babatunde Fashola says funding stands in the way of the Federal Government’s ability to immediately fix federal roads across the country, most of which are in a state of disrepair.
Aside the challenge of funding, Fashola also identified inclement weather condition, as another factor, saying, however, plans are afoot to commence the rehabilitation of some of the roads as soon as the rains are over.
He said that the government was striving to meet its financial obligations to the contractors handling the various road projects to ensure that they returned to the sites.
The minister was responding to a concern raised by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) over the conditions of federal roads and the negative impact this could have on the distribution of petroleum products across the country, especially as the festive period approaches.
The NNPC had called for an urgent intervention by the federal ministry of works and housing on some of the roads leading to fuel depots to ease movement of petroleum tankers ahead the festive season.
But speaking on efforts being made, Fashola said that critical roads particularly those linking up with fuel depots would be fixed in order to ease high traffic during the ember months.
He acknowledged some of the roads had deteriorated as a result of continuing rainfalls. He listed such to include Suleja-Bida-Lapai-Lambata; Oyo–Ogbomosho-Ilorin;Jebba-Mokwa-Tegina;Benin-Sapele-Warri;Benin-Auchi-Okenne;Enugu-Onitsha;Awka-Amansea and Odukpani-Itu roads.
Fashola explained that the failed portions of the Suleja-Lambata-Minna road were slated for emergency repairs during the ember months while work is ongoing on the Bida-Lapai-Lambata roads where contractors have already stabilised a substantial part of the road.
Fashola also said that approval has been given for the Engineering Corps of the Nigerian Army to repair the bad portions of the Bokani-Makera-Tegina-Birnin Gwari road in Niger and Kaduna States, which is currently under procurement, due to the security situation in that axis.
According to him, work on the Oyo-Ogbomosho-Ilorin road was on-going by the contractor handling the project. He said this was one of the projects that received dedicated funding under SUKUK. According to him, although the project is being challenged by the current weather situation and funding, the old alignment of the Oyo-Ogbomosho route is receiving palliative attention.
On the Ilorin –Jebba –Mokwa road, which is under a dualisation contract, Fashola explained that the project has been divided into two sections with Ilorin –Jebba in Kwara State as section1: while Section II comprises Jebba–Mokwa–Bokani Junction in Niger State adding that it is a new project and mobilization was still being processed.
For Okene–Lokoja road, which is in four sections and under SUKUK funding, he explained that all the contractors handling the various sections had been directed to do palliative work on the failed portions of the road.
He said while a Federal Government appointed contractor was working on the Enugu –Onitsha road, the bad portions of the Awka –Amansea road are being repaired by the Anambra State government.
For the Odukpani–Itu road, the minister said the contracting firm which is handling the project, has left the site as a result of the challenges of the weather situation and funding adding that his ministry was intensifying efforts to address the challenges for the company to return to site as soon as possible.
JOSHUA BASSEY
