The subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) Committee has told the four contractors handling the dualisation of the Abuja-Lokoja road construction to accelerate work on the sites allotted to each of them before end of the year, given recent payments to them.
This is even as the Committee also wants contractors to do everything within their capacity to progress the construction works to a level that will remove or lessen the traffic congestion yearly suffered by travelers during Christmas and New Year rush.
A press release by Mrs Mary Ikoku ,head of Communications at Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment programme (SURE-P) said the committee assured the contractors that it won’t delay on payment of certificates of jobs done as soon as such gets to it.
Making the demand on the contractors during a recent assessment of the road project which contract has been running since 2006, Deputy Chairman of the SURE-P Committee, Maj. Gen. Mamman Kontagora (rtd), said it has become imperative for the contractors working on the road to expedite action on seeing to it that they deliver their sections properly constructed in a manner that will bring about free flow of traffic during the Christmas and New year season.
(Picture:Construction of Lined Drain by Bulletin Construction Company on Section 3 (Abaji – Kontonkarfi) Along Abuja – Lokoja Express Dualisation)
At separate interaction with each of the contractors, the former Federal Minister of works reminded the contractors of the need for them to utilize the intervention funds coming from SURE-P for the purpose of the job it was disbursed.
Committee member and Sub-committee convener on “Roads and Bridges”, Alhaji Kassim Bataiya who was also in the team told the contractors that they need to justify through their works that they have capacity to spend the SURE-P funds already programmed for their use in the 2012 budget.
He said if they are able to justify expending the initial payments they have received from SURE-P, future payments will be made promptly without hindrance.
He said what the contractors have shown on the jobs done so far on the sections they are handling was encouraging but added that SURE-P need them to add more speed to the project because the road is very critical in the country’s road infrastructure development.
(Picture:SURE-P Deputy Chairman Maj.GenMammanKontagora (Rtd) and other members of SURE-P team inspecting bridge construction work at Gwagwalada Interchange on Abuja-Lokoja Express Road Dualisation, 42km Section 1 from Zuba – Sheda Village on Wednesday 12th Sept. 2012)
“I am highly impressed with the manner the contractors mobilized to site after they received payments from SURE-P on some of the certificates”. Bataiya said
Speaking on progress work Dantata & Sawoe Construction Company would make before December on section 1(Zuba-Sheda village) to ensure free traffic flow, Roy Hungushi said “we will do our best for the travelling public. We are fully mobilized to site and prepared to move the work on Gwagwalada interchange faster to ease the traffic one-half. Definitely we assure of traffic flow during the Christmas rush”
On section 2 (Sheda-Abaji), being contract awarded to RCC Nigeria Ltd, the Engineer representative, Engr. Eze Dozie said “the contractors are ready to finish this project faster and earlier than the period given under the contract. Before December, the plan is to finish 40km (20km on each side of the carriageway) out of the 54.7km.
The Managing Director of Bulletin Construction Company on his part assured the SURE-P team that his company which is handling the section 3 (Abaji-Kotonkarfi) project of the road would by December have most sections covered in term so usage and possibly have the two bridges on the section opened for use. He added that “by December, we will be having about 40km of the 49.362km road completed”.
On section 4 (Kotonkarfi-Lokoja), a project awarded to Gitto Construzzioni, the Engineer Representative, A.R. Ajani explained that the company hopes to complete bridges 8, 9 and 4 as well as the median barriers from 49.700 to 17.300. This is in addition to carrying out the road works to asphalt level.
The contractors highlighted some of the challenges confronting them to include delayed payment of certificates on completed jobs, incidences of high water table along the road alignment, poor sub-grade material along the road alignment as most of the sub-grade materials are below specification, delayed release of compensation funds to allow for demolition.
