From Isaac Anumihe, Abuja
Minister of Works Dave Umahi has given Messrs Rock Result (Nigeria) Limited until the end of January to complete the construction of multiple box culverts on the East-West Road, or the contract will be revoked.
Umahi issued the directive after inspecting the project. He expressed disappointment with the pace of work, noting that the contract, originally set for completion by November 2024, was extended to December, and as of January, the work remains incomplete.
The minister, therefore, set a final deadline for the contractor to finish the work by the end of January 2025, or face contract termination.
Umahi also visited ongoing work on the dualisation of East-West Road, Section II-II (Ahoada-Kaiama), and the construction of multiple box culverts at flood-affected areas on East-West Road, Section II-II (Ahoada-Kaiama) in Rivers and Bayelsa states. He expressed satisfaction with the quality of work on Section II-II (Ahoada-Kaiama) by Messrs Setraco (Nig.) Limited but instructed them to expedite the process by adding more resources to the job.
He reminded them that the April 2025 delivery date remains crucial and insisted that due to the flood-prone nature of the area, continuously reinforced concrete pavement (CRCP) should be used. The affected area spans about 2.3 kilometres.
In a statement, Umahi reiterated that the provision of roads and bridges is a top priority of the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Revolution under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He urged the contractors to increase their efforts or risk being sidelined.
Meanwhile, the Project Manager of Setraco, Engineer Isaa Michel, thanked the minister for the site inspection and promised to speed up the pace of work to meet the deadline.