Wharf – Mile 2 – Oshodi expressway: We have not signed contract -Julius Berger
News, Special Reports Mar 3, 2011


BY HUGO ODIOGOR & CHRIS OCHAYI

[size=28pt]ABUJA – INDICATIONS emerged, Tuesday, that the Minister of Works, Senator Sanusi Daggash  did not tell all the truth to the Nigerian public following his claims that contracts for the rehabilitation of the deteriorated Wharf-Mile 2-Oshodi carriageway in Lagos State had been awarded.[/size]

It would be recalled that the Minister, while reacting to a wake up call on him over near collapse of some federal highways in Lagos State and its environs by Vanguard, had told the world that contracts were awarded to two construction firms, Julius Berger PLC and Borini Prono.

But investigations by Vanguard at the Ministry of Works, Headquarters in Mabushi, and the companies said to have been awarded the contracts showed that no formal contractual agreement has been signed. A competent source who confided in Vanguard said: “Yes, we have discussed the contract but for now, it is only by mouth. No agreement has been signed.”

[size=28pt]What gave credence to this mirage was that no specifics on the contract sums as well as when the contractors would mobilize to the projects sites were given by the ministry even as Vanguard was denied details of the contract awards.[/size]

Berger Yard Bus Stop along the expressway.

Prior to the newspaper reports which forced the Minister to jump into the present confusion, Vanguard made several inquiries at the Ministry to get some clarifications on the state of the highway but the effort proved abortive as the Chief Press Secretary, CPS to the minister, Mr. Taye Akinyemi, kept on dribbling our correspondent. On several occasions, he would either say the Minister had travelled overseas with President Goodluck Jonathan or has travelled with Mr. President to one state or the other for the ongoing nationwide presidential campaign.

Motorists and users of the Wharf-Mile 2-Oshodi expressways have recently been subjected to groanings and excruciating pains as a result of the perennial traffic problem occasioned by the deteriorating condition of the dual carriageway.

Julius Berger denies signing contract

Officials of the construction giant, Julius Berger PLC, told Vanguard that the contract has been discussed in principle and that the company was still at the stage of doing the paper work with the Federal Government.
The source said: “Yes, in principle we have discussed the contract but we have not concluded the paper work and we have not been mobilised to site. We are not joining issue with the Minister but as soon as we finish the paper work and get the matching funds, we will mobilise to site.

[size=28pt]“The minister created the impression that the contract has been awarded and that it was the contractor, Julius Berger that has been delaying work on the failed portion of the  Oshodi-Apapa Express way which has become a death trap for the past 18 months, without any concern.

“We must not wait until roads degenerate to death traps before we do basic maintenance. All over the world it is more cost effective to do routine maintenance than wait till the road fails completely and endanger human lives.
“What the minister was doing was to find a straw man to attack for gross dereliction of duty. Besides the Apapa_ Oshodi Expressway, the state of federal roads through out the country had remained in deplorable state throughout the dry season when serious maintenance work should have been done, but with the early rains and preoccupation with elections, users of Nigerian roads are bitter that the minister chose to engage in media war rather than concentrate on his brief.”[/size]

Contracts awarded, says Daggash

[size=28pt]Minister of Works, Senator Sanusi Daggash, last Thursday, said that contracts for the rehabilitation of the deteriorated Wharf-Mile 2-Oshodi carriageway in Lagos State had been awarded to two construction firms, Julius Berger PLC and Borini Prono.[/size]

Senator Daggash who disclosed this while reacting to a wake up call on him over near collapse of some federal highways in Lagos State and its environs, by the Vanguard Newspapers, said the federal government was aware of the perennial traffic problem associated with the road.

The minister who spoke through a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, CPS, Mr. Taye Akinyemi, in Abuja, was however, not specific on the contract sums as well as when the contractors would mobilize to the projects sites.

His statement read: “The attention of the Federal Ministry of Works has been drawn to the front page  photo news of the Vanguard of today, Tuesday, February 22, 2011, in which the paper rhetorically asked: WHEN WILL THE WORKS MINISTER, SANUSI DAGGASH WAKE UP?

“The question was asked in relation to the Mile 2-Wharf end of the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway which, according to the newspaper, has failed for several months ‘without his ministry bothering.’

“It is important to state at the onset that the works minister has not only been awake, but has been alive to his responsibilities and fully abreast of all federal roads in the country, their current state and now has a national road map towards a more durable and sustainable road network for the nation.

“Aside from visiting most states of the Federation for a first hand information on federal roads, the Hon. Minister had twice visited Lagos and specifically the said Oshodi – Apapa roads, first on April 28, and 29, 2010, the last of such visits being as recent as December 9-10, 2010.

“The visit was a follow-up to the award of the contract for the full rehabilitation of the roads to Messrs Julius Berger PLC Section II (CH 7 + 000 to CH 23 + 000) and Borini Prono (Oshodi –Apapa Section I CH 0 + 000 to CH 7 + 000) ends of the roads.

“This road was constructed by Julius Berger Nig. Plc in the early 70s and it is the main arterial route for the evacuation of imported products from the two major deep seaports (i.e. Tin Can and Apapa deep seaports). The Kirikiri lighter terminal is also being serviced by this very important carriageway. Seven major interchanges form part of the original design of the expressway, i.e. at Trinity, Kirikiri, Mile 2, Iyana-Isolo, Oshodi, Anthony and Oworonshoki.

At Oworonshoki; two separate grades exist that transfer traffic onto the Third Mainland Bridge and the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

“Over the years as the population of Lagos grew, numerous establishments have sprung up along this major arterial route. This has led to major abuses on the drainage infrastructures as provided for in the original contract. Most of the drains, which hitherto transfer storm water from the carriageway to the creeks, have become silted up and blocked.

“Also, major oil marketers with high storage capacity are located along this route thereby making it impossible to access the service roads between Coconuts –Apapa Port since they have converted this service road to truck parks.

“Activities of the trucks, equipment, and car dealers under the umbrella of United Berger Truck/Equipment Dealers Association have rendered most of the service roads where they operate impassable to vehicular traffic and they constitute a major stumbling block to the emerging government maintenance policy.”

ABUJA – INDICATIONS emerged, Tuesday, that the Minister of Works, Senator Sanusi Daggash did not tell all the truth to the Nigerian public following his claims that contracts for the rehabilitation of the deteriorated Wharf-Mile 2-Oshodi carriageway in Lagos State had been awarded.

It would be recalled that the Minister, while reacting to a wake up call on him over near collapse of some federal highways in Lagos State and its environs by Vanguard, had told the world that contracts were awarded to two construction firms, Julius Berger PLC and Borini Prono.

But investigations by Vanguard at the Ministry of Works, Headquarters in Mabushi, and the companies said to have been awarded the contracts showed that no formal contractual agreement has been signed. A competent source who confided in Vanguard said: “Yes, we have discussed the contract but for now, it is only by mouth. No agreement has been signed.”

What gave credence to this mirage was that no specifics on the contract sums as well as when the contractors would mobilize to the projects sites were given by the ministry even as Vanguard was denied details of the contract awards.

oyb:



[size=38pt]Fresh Air 2011!!!
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