November 28, 2013 at 12:56 am

By Ben Agande

Abuja— The Federal Executive Council, FEC, yesterday, approved contracts worth N42 billion for the rehabilitation of roads across the country.
Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, told newsmen after the weekly meeting of the council that the contracts include rehabilitation of three federal roads in Kogi, Kwara, Bauchi, Plateau and Adamawa states and dualization of one federal road in Kano State.

Others include the Ilorin-Omu Aran-Kabba Road in Kwara and Kogi states at the cost of N8.217 billion with a completion period of 36 months.
Maku said: “Council also approved the award of contract for the dualisation of Kano-Katsina Road Phase 1: Kano town at Dawanau roundabout, Katsina State border with Kano State at the cost of N14.078 billion with a completion period of 30 months.

“Council also approved the award of contract for the rehabilitation of Tumu-Pindiga-Kashere (Gombe State)-Futuk-Yalo (Bauchi State)-Bashar-Dengi (Plateau State) road: construction of Yalo-Bashar-Dengi Section in Bauchi and Plateau states, for N3.076 billion with a completion period of 18 months.

“After deliberations, council approved the award of contract No. 6210 for the rehabilitation of Ilorin-Jebba-Mokwa-Birnin-Gwari-Kaduna road section 1” among others.

Council also approved a memo presented by the President for the award of contract for supply of 70,000 software development and support for Permanent Voters Card Radio Frequency Identification, RFID, Readers

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/11/fec-approves-n42bn-roads-rehabilitation/

Pls, how can i partake in that loot?

Southeast and southsouth not part of the N42 billion road contract bazzar. Na wa!

Sincere 9gerian: Southeast and southsouth not part of the N42 billion road contract bazzar. Na wa!

there are already enough roads giving out for construction in those zones.it is doing them that is the issue.

Sincere 9gerian: Southeast and southsouth not part of the N42 billion road contract bazzar. Na wa!

bt we re nt compliang.bt if its d oil drinkers dy wil float anudr party

Sincere 9gerian: Southeast and southsouth not part of the N42 billion road contract bazzar. Na wa!

Yet those ungrateful monkies and their cousins in the west, still claim jonathan is only working on 'Eastern interests' only. Bunch of never do wells!

I must commend the Minister of works, Mike Onolemene for a job well done. It is not in doubt that all the major highways in Nigeria will look better than he met it 3 years ago. He is seriously pursuing the construction of so many road projects that will have positive impact on the welfare and economy of Nigerians. At the rate he is working, you will wonder what others before him did.

Sincere 9gerian: Southeast and southsouth not part of the N42 billion road contract bazzar. Na wa!

In fairness to Jonathan's administration, he has been able to touch some vital road networks in South East but that doesn't mean that all the Federal roads in the zone are in good shape.
When he came on board, he intervened on the abandoned Owerri-Onitsha expressway and completed it.
He also mobilised FERMA to rehabilitate Enugu-PH expressway pending when there is available resources to reconstruct the road entirely.(as the road is expected to gulp over 300B)
Jonathan also worked on the Aba-Owerri road which is in good shape. There is the Enugu-Abakiliki route but they need to do something urgently on the Enugu-Onitsha route.

asha 80: there are already enough roads giving out for construction in those zones.it is doing them that is the issue.

They are trying. We have never had it this good in the south East before

Mandelaguy:

In fairness to Jonathan's administration, he has been able to touch some vital road networks in South East but that doesn't mean that all the Federal roads in the zone are in good shape.
When he came on board, he intervened on the abandoned Owerri-Onitsha expressway and completed it.
He also mobilised FERMA to rehabilitate Enugu-PH expressway pending when there is available resources to reconstruct the road entirely.(as the road is expected to gulp over 300B)
Jonathan also worked on the Aba-Owerri road which is in good shape. There is the Enugu-Abakiliki route but they need to do something urgently on the Enugu-Onitsha route.

Enugu-Onitsha road is bad news. I wonder what is happening because it is one of the roads covered by SURE-P.

Sincere 9gerian:
Enugu-Onitsha road is bad news. I wonder what is happening because it is one of the roads covered by SURE-P.

Work is actually ongoing @ the Onitsha end only that the contractors are working @ snail speed! From headbridge to umunya the road looks sweet.

Nnewi1stSon: Yet those ungrateful monkies and their cousins in the west, still claim jonathan is only working on 'Eastern interests' only. Bunch of never do wells!

Don't mind them. They are just a bunch of noisemakers. What Jonathan has been able to do for South West in the past 2 years are unparalleled by any other President of Nigeria, even their own son-OBJ.
OBJ ruled for 8 years and was playing with Lagos-Ibadan expressway, GEJ is the one that has drafted Julius Berger to site to start the reconstruction of that road. Take a look at the Ibadan-Ilorin road that was abandoned halfway by OBJ. Jonathan took over and the road is nearing completion in less than 2 years.
We all remember how bad Benin-Ore-Sagamu road used to be under Obj/Yaradua. But today, that road is now motorable to some extent. Phase one of that highway from Benin-Ore is now completed under GEJ. Even Apapa-Oshodi expressway is receiving attention by thus govt.

They just hate Jonathan for nothing sake. Very lousy people.

Sincere 9gerian: Southeast and southsouth not part of the N42 billion road contract bazzar. Na wa!

The entire 42 Billion is not upto half of what FG is spending on East-West road alone in the South South. FG is trying. We must cut some slack for them. It is not easy given the modest revenue available for all of these projects. After tight budgeting, Ministry of Works had about 184B allocated to them for road networks across the country in 2013.

Most of the highways cost more than the entire works budget hence the rationing and delay in execution. For instance, the Lagos-Ibadan expressway was awarded to Julius Berger at 160B. That is almost the whole Budget for Nigeria. Yet the Minister is managing it well and achieving results with the 184B.

Naijagunner83:

Don't mind them. They are just a bunch of noisemakers. What Jonathan has been able to do for South West in the past 2 years are unparalleled by any other President of Nigeria, even their own son-OBJ.
OBJ ruled for 8 years and was playing with Lagos-Ibadan expressway, GEJ is the one that has drafted Julius Berger to site to start the reconstruction of that road. Take a look at the Ibadan-Ilorin road that was abandoned halfway by OBJ. Jonathan took over and the road is nearing completion in less than 2 years.
We all remember how bad Benin-Ore-Sagamu road used to be under Obj/Yaradua. But today, that road is now motorable to some extent. Phase one of that highway from Benin-Ore is now completed under GEJ. Even Apapa-Oshodi expressway is receiving attention by thus govt.

They just hate Jonathan for nothing sake. Very lousy people.

He was hated becoz majority of his cabinet members aren't yoruba.

So much hatred and hatred is d fury of a lousy man

Bukkyade:

The entire 42 Billion is not upto half of what FG is spending on East-West road alone in the South South. FG is trying. We must cut some slack for them. It is not easy given the modest revenue available for all of these projects. After tight budgeting, Ministry of Works had about 184B allocated to them for road networks across the country in 2013.

Most of the highways cost more than the entire works budget hence the rationing and delay in execution. For instance, the Lagos-Ibadan expressway was awarded to Julius Berger at 160B. That is almost the whole Budget for Nigeria. Yet the Minister is managing it well and achieving results with the 184B.

You are right. I recall that Former President Obasanjo awarded East-West road in 2006 at the cost of 347B. He mobilised them with about 1.2B and that was it for years causing the contractors to abandon site. When Jonathan came in and wanted to take up the construction of the road, he saw that the money was too much and beyond the budgetary capacity of Feceral Ministry of Works. He had to move the road to Ministry of Niger Delta affairs under Orubebe for funding. Even that one is complaining of Funding.

Whatever the case, it's extremely important that a road is awarded first so that citizens can monitor and track performance.
If a road is not awarded, we can't hold anybody accountable. This is a step forward and it shows that those who are in charge are aware of so many of the bad roads we complain about. Thanks GEJ for the award, Execution next.

Nnewi1stSon: Work is actually ongoing @ the Onitsha end only that the contractors are working @ snail speed! From headbridge to umunya the road looks sweet.

Yes I can attest to that. The last time I passed through that road, I saw work ongoing by NIGERCAT. even the Onitsha head bridge side has been sanitized and now looks widened easing the free flow of traffic.

Naijagunner83:

Don't mind them. They are just a bunch of noisemakers. What Jonathan has been able to do for South West in the past 2 years are unparalleled by any other President of Nigeria, even their own son-OBJ.
OBJ ruled for 8 years and was playing with Lagos-Ibadan expressway, GEJ is the one that has drafted Julius Berger to site to start the reconstruction of that road. Take a look at the Ibadan-Ilorin road that was abandoned halfway by OBJ. Jonathan took over and the road is nearing completion in less than 2 years.
We all remember how bad Benin-Ore-Sagamu road used to be under Obj/Yaradua. But today, that road is now motorable to some extent. Phase one of that highway from Benin-Ore is now completed under GEJ. Even Apapa-Oshodi expressway is receiving attention by thus govt.

They just hate Jonathan for nothing sake. Very lousy people.

It is not the yorubas that is the problem, rather it is Tinubu dogs, who unfortunately constitute the majority of the yorubas on NL.

Sincere 9gerian:
Enugu-Onitsha road is bad news. I wonder what is happening because it is one of the roads covered by SURE-P.

That is d only physical project been undataking by SURE-P that is not moving at d speed of others (eg Benin-Ore Rd, Abuja-Lokoja Rd, East-West Rd, Kano-Maiduguri Rd, Lagos-Kano Railway, PH-Enugu-Maiduguri Railway, etc). I watched a member of d SURE-P committee on NTA few months back, saying that d delays in d Onitsha-Enugu Rd was cos of what I think he called 'Contracting Complication' with d Rd, forcing SURE-P to cancel payments until d Fed Min of Works sorts it out... Don't know if d Ministry hv done so though

taharqa: That is d only physical project been undataking by SURE-P that is not moving at d speed of others (eg Benin-Ore Rd, Abuja-Lokoja Rd, East-West Rd, Kano-Maiduguri Rd, Lagos-Kano Railway, PH-Enugu-Maiduguri Railway, etc). I watched a member of d SURE-P committee on NTA few months back, saying that d delays in d Onitsha-Enugu Rd was cos of what I think he called 'Contracting Complication' with d Rd, forcing SURE-P to cancel payments until d Fed Min of Works sorts it out... Don't know if d Ministry hv done so though

Whether SURE P, Ministry of Works or Niger Delta Ministry, The common thread in all of these is that Jonathan is working and the roads are being repaired. That's all.

Arobam:

Whether SURE P, Ministry of Works or Niger Delta Ministry, The common thread in all of these is that Jonathan is working and the roads are being repaired. That's all.

Hv they started working on the Road again??

taharqa: Hv they started working on the Road again??

They'r working on the road but the problem is that work is very slow. It is no where the speed of work on other SURE-P protects. Also at the this rate, the projected 2014 completion date will be a mirage. Something has to be done to speed up work. I dont expect us to still be talking about Enugu-Onitsha road when the campaigns for 2015 elections begin

It's quite unfortunate that Enugu - Onitsha (Expressway?) has been under reconstruction for over 5 years now. For goodness sake, that road used to be the best road in the South East.
Onitsha end from old toll-gate is completed, but from there to Enugu is a bumpy ride on 90% one lane that would make one wonder if such a "highway" isn't more than a national disgrace.
Difficult to believe that during the good old days, folks needed just about 40 minutes to be in Enugu from Upper Iweka.
Moreover, the fact that the Milken hill part of the contract doesn't include a 2 metre shoulder expansion, makes it dangerous for smaller vehicles behind slow rolling trucks. It's embarrassing how we ignore little things that could save life.

Naijagunner83:

Don't mind them. They are just a bunch of noisemakers. What Jonathan has been able to do for South West in the past 2 years are unparalleled by any other President of Nigeria, even their own son-OBJ.
OBJ ruled for 8 years and was playing with Lagos-Ibadan expressway, GEJ is the one that has drafted Julius Berger to site to start the reconstruction of that road. Take a look at the Ibadan-Ilorin road that was abandoned halfway by OBJ. Jonathan took over and the road is nearing completion in less than 2 years.
We all remember how bad Benin-Ore-Sagamu road used to be under Obj/Yaradua. But today, that road is now motorable to some extent. Phase one of that highway from Benin-Ore is now completed under GEJ. Even Apapa-Oshodi expressway is receiving attention by thus govt.

They just hate Jonathan for nothing sake. Very lousy people.

^^^And don't forget the high-speed Ibadan to Lagos rail! They've also made appreciable progress on the one for Abuja to Kaduna. When all these are complete, one could live in Ibadan or Kaduna, and easily commute to work in Lagos and Abuja respectively!

The South East is for now left out (and this is in a gov't they say is controlled by the SE/SS); yet in all this one doesn't hear protests and accusations of marginalization, favouritism and hidden agenda coming from the South East!

taharqa: That is d only physical project been undataking by SURE-P that is not moving at d speed of others (eg Benin-Ore Rd, Abuja-Lokoja Rd, East-West Rd, Kano-Maiduguri Rd, Lagos-Kano Railway, PH-Enugu-Maiduguri Railway, etc). I watched a member of d SURE-P committee on NTA few months back, saying that d delays in d Onitsha-Enugu Rd was cos of what I think he called 'Contracting Complication' with d Rd, forcing SURE-P to cancel payments until d Fed Min of Works sorts it out... Don't know if d Ministry hv done so though

^^^Funny how when it comes to projects/contracts for the South East, they always have one encumbrance or the other!

We hear the same yarn with most big budget life changing projects in the SE like: the second Niger bridge; Onitsha river port; and Enugu -Onitsha expressway! Always faffing and blagging about and stringing us along till the year finally runs out; and then we start the deceit all over again in the new year! When 2015 arrives, we'll then be promised a second Niger bridge; a working river port at Onitsha; and a spanking new Enugu-Onitsha expressway.......if we all throw our weight behind GEJs bid!

You couldn't make it up!

How about 9th mile - Lokoja- Makurdi dualization. We have not heard anything from FG since Jony's return trip from China.

Sincere 9gerian:
They'r working on the road but the problem is that work is very slow. It is no where the speed of work on other SURE-P protects. Also at the this rate, the projected 2014 completion date will be a mirage. Something has to be done to speed up work. I dont expect us to still be talking about Enugu-Onitsha road when the campaigns for 2015 elections begin

OK....

IGBO-SON:


^^^And don't forget the high-speed Ibadan to Lagos rail! They've also made appreciable progress on the one for Abuja to Kaduna. When all these are complete, one could live in Ibadan or Kaduna, and easily commute to work in Lagos and Abuja respectively!

The South East is for now left out (and this is in a gov't they say is controlled by the SE/SS); yet in all this one doesn't hear protests and accusations of marginalization, favouritism and hidden agenda coming from the South East!

Sincerely, I share your sentiments this time. Why are big projects in the southeast almost always having issues?