•Say it’ll guarantee road durability, check corruption
Structural and highway engineers in the country have applauded the measured diagnostic approach adopted by the President Bola Tinubu-led administration in its road regeneration agenda, stating that such is the only way to guarantee a blueprint for durability and cost effectiveness, plug waste and check corruption in road construction and maintenance in the country.
The engineers under the aegis of Forum of Integrated Engineers in Public Works (FIEP) also commended the painstaking tours and review of roads by the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, for first-hand professional needs assessment in line with President Tinubu’s commitment on road infrastructure in the country.
The body noted that the absence of such survey and review of roads had always posed serious challenges in policy decision making, budgeting, cost-effective execution of projects, as well as creating openings for waste and corruption.
A statement by the national coordinator of the Forum, Farouk Ibrahim Hassan, yesterday, said patriotic structural and highway engineers in Nigeria understood and commended the meticulous approach by the current administration in its effort to address road challenges in the country.
“The FIEP has carefully reviewed the measured diagnostic approach by President Tinubu’s administration in addressing the road infrastructure challenges in the country.
“The Forum also notes and commends the painstaking inspection and need assessment tours of roads by the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, in line with the objective of the Tinubu-led administration.
“Such professional approach is strategic for effective need-specific planning, policy decision making, target-oriented budgeting, checking corruption and ensuring efficient and cost-effective delivery of road projects across the country, in line with the desire for durable and safer highways in the country.
“The absence of such strategic analysis is mostly responsible for the inaccurate federal budgeting and policy decision on roads, creating openings for waste and corruption, resulting in poor quality roads and abandonment of projects with their attendant hazards and negative consequences on commuters and the economy of the nation.
“Also, the approach adopted by the Minister of Works will not only deliver quality, safe and durable roads, but also ensure even distribution of federal roads in the country. It will also enable government to effectively measure performance and guarantee prompt delivery of projects,” the engineers said
The Forum applauded President Tinubu for appointing Umahi, whom it said has shown capacity and clear understanding of the vision of the Tinubu administration to transform Nigeria’s road network and infrastructure, which is already at play with the introduction of reinforced concrete road technology in various parts of the country.
The Forum hailed the spot visit to “critical projects in various parts of the country, including the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway; Marina Road, Victoria Island, Lagos; rehabilitated Eko Bridge, Lagos; Apapa-Oshodi Expressway; Deep Sea Ports, Lagos; Lagos and Ogun States Corridor projects; the Ibadan-Oyo dualised Road; Oyo-Ogbomoso dualisation project, Ibadan-Abeokuta Road, Ibadan-Ife-Ilesa dual carriageway.
“Others are section II of Enugu–Port Harcourt Road; section I of Lokpanta (completed); Umuahia-Ikwuano-Ikot Ekpene Road; Nkporo-Abiriba-Ohafia Road; section I of Bende-Arochukwu-Ohafia Road; Aba-Owerri Road; Uturu-Isuikwuato-Akara Road; Umuchichi-Ozo Road; Aba-Port Harcourt Road; Enugu-Onitsha Expressway; and Abuja-Kaduna Road; Lagere-Iremo-Enuwa-Ilesha By-Pass, Osun State; among many others,” the Forum stated.