FEC approves N49bn revised sum for Enugu-Anambra link road

 

 

 

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the sum of N49 billion being the revised sum for the old Enugu-Onitsha road project.

The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, briefed State House correspondents after FEC meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Fashola said his ministry sought and obtained two approvals from the council.

“We presented two memoranda to council; both were approved; the first is with regards to contract cost revision by way of augmentation for the old Enugu-Onitsha road from Opi junction all the way to Udi-Oji to Anambra border in Enugu State.

“The augmentation was in the sum of N17 billion which revised the contract sum to N49 billion with an additional completion time of 42 months.’’

The minister said that the second contract was a fresh contract for the maintenance of the pavement of the third mainland bridge.

He said that maintenance would address public concerns on the presence of potholes on the bridge.

“And this was approved in the sum N6.3 billion for a period of 24 months.

“This is consonance with the Executive Order 11 signed by the president for the continued maintenance of public infrastructure.

“This contract responds to the questions on potholes that have become manifest on the entire pavement of the deck of the bridge spanning 11 eleven kilometres and the interchanges—Adeniji Adele, Adekunle and Gbagada ramps that all link the bridge; this is for the resurfacing of all that.

“Those who are familiar with the bridge will recall that all of these failures were not this manifest on the bridge as at the time we did some work; and the work that we did concentrated largely on the sub-structure of the bridge—the piles, the underwater piles; the pile caps and also the replacement of the expansion joints and the bearings.’’

According to him, the maintenance works are critical to the structural integrity of the bridge.

He said that the maintenance work would restore the driving surface and the aesthetics.

“Some of the rails that have been stolen; some of the planes that have misaligned at the ramps that lead you on and off the bridge.

“So, this is the work that is being done now; so all the experience, avoiding potholes on the bridge; this project will tackle that,’’ he said.

Similarly, The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved N6.28bn for surface maintenance of the Third Mainland Bridge, Lagos State.

Babatunde Fashola, Minister of Works and Housing, who disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents after this week’s FEC meeting at the Presidential Villa, said the 24-month repair will cover 11 kilometers including interchanges, ramps, and critical links.

He said the move aligns with Executive Order 11 signed by the President Muhammadu Buhari, in April 2022, which gave legal backing to the country’s national maintenance policy.

The announcement comes barely two weeks after the Lagos State Government said it would undertake rehabilitation works on the 32-year-old Bridge to repair failed and peeled asphaltic sections and substructure.

However, Fashola argued that there will be no duplication of efforts.

He said the State’s Public Works Corporation will focus on the functional structure of the bridge such as the underwater piles, while the FG will undertake surface maintenance to treat potholes and restore missing guard rails.

“Council approved a fresh contract for the maintenance of the pavement of the third mainland bridge and this was approved in the sum of N6.28bn for a period of 24 months,” he said.

“I have been asked about the works that have been done on the bridge before. The works are concentrating largely on the substructure of the bridge; the underwater piles, the pile caps and also the replacement of the expansion joints and the bearings.

“These are maintenance works that are critical to the structural integrity of the bridge. What we’re dealing with now is different. It is the driving surface and also the aesthetics. Some of the rails have been stolen. Some of the pleats are misaligned at the routes that lead you on and off the bridge.”

Fashola said that there are no anticipated prolonged closures during the works.

The council also approved N17.5bn variation for the contract for the construction of the old Enugu-Onitsha road whose current sum now stands at N48.99bn.

Also, The Federal Government, on Wednesday, approved the procurement and installation of luggage scanners in all railway stations in Abuja, Kaduna and Kano.

 

They include eight colour imaging X-ray scanners, eight body scanners metal detectors and 50 handheld scanners.

 

The Minister of State for Transportation, Ademola Adegoroye, who briefed State House correspondents after this week’s Federal Executive Council meeting, said the procurement would cost N498m.

 

Speaking at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Adegoroye said the new installation was part of the FG’s ongoing program to enhance railway transport safety.⁣

 

The Buhari regime said it had aggressively developed Nigeria’s railway infrastructure nationwide.

 

However, with that expansion came security concerns with several episodes of reported armed robbery incidents, kidnapping, and terrorist attacks in the past two years.

 

On Monday, March 28, 2022, terrorists linked to the Boko Haram sect attacked a Kaduna-bound train leaving eight passengers dead and kidnapping at least 41.

 

Consequently, the Nigerian Railway Service halted all train services along the Abuja-Kaduna route for eight months.

 

Operations resumed in January 2023 amidst tight security and more scepticism among passengers. ⁣

 

Adegoroye who spoke on Wednesday said the devices were necessary due to the need to secure lives and property on the rail.

 

“So, today there was a memo before the Council for the provision of baggage scanners at railway stations and I’m happy to inform you that the Council agreed with us and has approved that contract for scanners to be installed at railway stations so that when people get there and have goods, then they can pass through the scanners and they can be sure that there’s nothing that can destroy, that can cause violence or inflict danger or bring lives and property at stake.⁣

 

“You’ll all agree with me that in view of the process of securing lives and property, such equipment has to be installed at our railway stations.

 

“Since we’re starting the railway revolution, we are trying to put in place a lot of things with the railways. We don’t want people to come and damage all that the government has been trying to put in place in that sector,” he explained.