We inherited N14.1trn contract sum, 18000km roads –Umahi

AKOR SYLVESTER, Abuja

The Minister of works, Engr David Umahi Thursday disclosed that the present administration has 18,000 kilometres of roads and inherited a contract sum of about N14.1 trillion.
He said out of the amount, N4trillion is being paid in all the projects, while some of the projects have lasted between 10 to 20 years.
He said some contractors have jerked up the contract sum by 100 percent, stating that such development was the reason they are not getting paid.
The Minister, who stated this while meeting with all contractors handling road dualisation projects and all zonal directors of the ministry in Abuja told the contractors and stakeholders to key into the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr President.
He said the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Ltd, NNPCL is contributing in terms of funding to the project, noting that some were ready for contractors to clear.
According to him, “I want to remind you that Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Ltd (NNPCL) is funding 50% percent of the contract sum and that funding goes up to 2025“, he said.
Umahi noted that “we have N431bn of money that is ready for contractors to clear but there is no certificate for it. If you are doing a job under Phase 1, make effort to make claims
If your job involves augmentation, go back to your regional director for understanding before I sign the certificate. Any certificate I sign now , I have to take account for it even when I have left office”.
The minister tasked the contractors to stick to one lane if their job has not gone up to 50% completion.
He said he had also come up with Performance Bond meaning that all new projects would be guaranteed for 10years.
He urged all contractors that have built roads that cannot last up to ten years to write to the
ministry to either stop work or rebuild the road to last 10years.
He warned contractors that he would not listen to stories of failures on the roads due to overloading, while enjoining all the contractors to cooperate with him on building roads with concrete technology as it was done both in India and Singapore.
“We are going back to the original concept of the projects and the necessity of any additional works and also see how we get a fair deal. Expecting an endorsement from the ministry of works is not acceptable to Nigerian Society of Engineers, is not possible“ he added.
Umahi also confirmed that “ Mr President understands road infrastructure.
“If I come before him with a contract of N44bn reviewed to N144bn contract sum , I must be able to provide details of how the cost came about”, he noted.