There are strong indications that one of the contractors handling the reconstruction of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Messrs Julius Berger (Nig) Plc, may soon pull out of the project if the Federal Government does not mobilise the company before the end of August.
Investigations revealed that the company has threatened to pull out of the scheme unless part of the contract sum was paid into its coffers within two weeks.
Julius Berger, it was learnt, had been under severe pressure by the Federal Government to continue work on the road despite not been paid for work done so far on the road since returning to site a couple of months ago.
According to a top official of the company, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the Federal Government was arm-twisting the company to continue work on the road.
“Since we returned to site about two months ago, the Federal Government has not paid us one kobo for job so far done on the road. Instead, what officials of the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing kept telling us is that our absence from the road would further cause untold hardship to motorists plying the road.
“But they forget to appreciate the fact that so far we have been spending our own meager resources to fund our activities on the road. They further posited, that we are responsible for the slow pace of development on the road as a result of our refusal to fully mobilise our personnel and equipment to the road”, he noted.
According to him, since the contract for the reconstruction of the road was awarded to Messrs Julius Berger (Nig) Plc and RCC by the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, no significant payment had been made by the Federal Government to the company for the rehabilitation of the expressway.
He pointed out that Julius Berger was contracted to handle the reconstruction of the expressway from the old tollgate at Ojota to Shagamu intersection (known as Section one), while RCC was to handle the reconstruction of the road from Shagamu to Ibadan (Section two).
He said unequivocally that there was no way the company would continue to work on the road beyond the third week of August if no payment was made to it.
Advertisement


When contacted for his comment on the matter, the Director in charge of Public Private Partnership (PPP) office in the ministry responsible for overseeing the road project, Engineer Babatunde Ekunsunmi, declined comment.
According to him, he had been redeployed from the office, adding that another director had been reassigned to oversee the project.
The Director of Highways (South-West), Engineer John Ibe, said that the supervision of the road was no longer under his purview.
However, investigations revealed that the ministry was delaying payment of the outstanding sum due to the company and RCC until the new minister in charge of the ministry, Babatunde Fashola, was done with the reconciliation of the figures quoted by the two companies for the execution of the road project.
A source at the ministry said that the ministry would definitely mobilise the two companies but that would be after all the reconciliation process had been concluded.
It was learnt that funds had been released by the Federal Government for some specific road projects across the country of which the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway is one of them.
The lingering non-mobilisation, according to observers, may worsen the condition of the road especially this rainy season and may well spell hard times for commuters.
It would be recalled that the contract for the reconstruction of the road was re-awarded to Messrs Julius Berger and RCC by former President Goodluck Jonathan after the former contractor handling the project, Bi-Courtney Highways Services Limited (BCHSL), was asked to hands off the project in 2012.
Bi-Courtney Highways Services Limited, a company owned by Mr. Wale Babalakin, was awarded the contract for the reconstruction of the road under a build, operate and transfer (BOT) agreement at a sum of N85.9 billion.
The concession was granted in July 2009.
Babalakin as at the time the contract was revoked claimed that he had spent about $300 million.
According to a source at BCHSL, up and until when the contract was terminated, the company claimed that it had completed the patching and overlaying of bad portions of the highway, adding that its $6.5 million asphalt plant was seized by Ogun State government.

http://www.today.ng/news/national/158252/julius-berger-pullout-lagos-ibadan-exp-release-funds

This can't be true because we were told last night that 331billion NGN has been spent so far on capital projects.

And I'll say it again,After God, fear APC!!!

FG abeg oo....do dey needful



Do you need 10,000+ active Emails, 100,000+ active numbers (Glo, Mtn, etisalat,
airtel, Bulk mail, Bulk sms, 1million+ facebook page, 5million youtube views,
1,000 Ebook Sales Daily , 10.000+ blog traffic daily, Forum like nairaland,
E-Commerce like Jumia, Branded Mobile Apps...etc contact me.....check my signature...
......................Stop struggling for traffic.......

Apc

When zombies were posting old picture of 2014, i warned them, now same treatment that befell ogoni clean up is warming up

The minister should rise up to work on this project. Its obvious d old concessionaire (bicourtney) could not handle d project, hence d new concessionaire (mal). MAL has so far shown competence and seriousness as seen in d progress made so far. The minister should remove all d bottlenecks and let the project resume fully.

The minister should rise up to work on this project. Its obvious d old concessionaire (bicourtney) could not handle d project, hence d new concessionaire (mal). MAL has so far shown competence and seriousness as seen in d progress made so far. The minister should remove all d bottlenecks and let the project resume fully without further delay.

Blame Jonathan! He's responsible for making Fashola dumb.

That's the thing with Buhari. The man just doesn't like releasing money. That's how they said he asked the Olympic team to find their own way to Brazil. In a way his prudence is good, but it can slow down projects.

It is better they Pull Out...Julius Berger has done next to nothing on that Road, Only RCC have worked tremendously well b4 the project was stalled and had also mobilized bk to site since d intervention if the Minister......

Rossikk:
That's the thing with Buhari. The man just doesn't like releasing money. That's how they said he asked the Olympic team to find their own way to Brazil. In a way his prudence is good, but it can slow down projects.

I can't say for releasing fund or not but JB have been very Lackadaisical in their approach towards the reconstruction of the road even when GEJ was stil in govt, onky RCC section of d road have received a major facelift.. JB have been slow, very uninspiring and left site as early as 2014....Til date JB is not yet bk on site bt RCC have long resumed work..

Up till today,the 4 trillion trapped inside TSA has refused to be un-trapped.
This is more like the more you see the less you understand rogue government.

olatunji21:
It is better they Pull Out...Julius Berger has done next to nothing on that Road, Only RCC have worked tremendously well b4 the project was stalled and had also mobilized bk to site since d intervention if the Minister......

My guy forger those matter. When government didn't pay them how will they be motivated to work.

This government isn't sincere in there dealings at all... The last time they said they have released billions of money to contractors and even went as far as postings pictures of work done. Why can't they just say the truth and shame the devil for once?

Some other construction companies have started placing their staff on redundancy, because of the same reason .

This is advert and spam


You shouldn't continue

Yourskills:
FG abeg oo....do dey needful



Do you need 10,000+ active Emails, 100,000+ active numbers (Glo, Mtn, etisalat,
airtel, Bulk mail, Bulk sms, 1million+ facebook page, 5million youtube views,
1,000 Ebook Sales Daily , 10.000+ blog traffic daily, Forum like nairaland,
E-Commerce like Jumia, Branded Mobile Apps...etc contact me.....check my signature...
......................Stop struggling for traffic.......

Back to topic , I hope Buhari releases funds soon, We understand it's hard considering the nuisance people of Nigeria are cutting funds to the government , i hope he tries

DaBullIT:
This is advert and spam


You shouldn't continue





Back to topic , I hope Buhari releases funds soon, We understand it's hard considering the nuisance people of Nigeria are cutting funds to the government , i hope he tries

is not bro..

Fashola please do the needful...That road is in a mess and need to be fix as soon as possible