₦airaland Forum

I saw this on a friend's timeline on Facebook

naijadrivablog:
Following the constant complaints and hardship faced by road users of the Calabar – Odukpani – Itu – Ikot Ekpene federal highway, the House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee on Works and Abandoned Projects, on Saturday 26th October 2019 embarked on a fact-finding mission.

The 6-man committee headed by Rt. Hon. Francis Uduyok, member representing Ikot Abasi Federal Constituency of Akwa Ibom State, was accompanied by a team from Julius Berger, the project contractors, led by its Regional Manager (South and East), Engr. Juergen Fischer to ascertain the actual state of the highly controversial Odukpani-Itu (with spur to ididep) – Ikot Ekpene Road in Cross Rivers and Akwa Ibom States.

Also on the delegation were the Members representing Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency, Hon.Obong Emmanuel Ukpong-udo, his counterpart from Abak/Etim Ekpo/Ika, Hon.Aniekan Umanah, Hon Bamidele Salam (Osun), Hon Makwe (Ebonyi) and Rt Hon Tunji Shoyinka (Lagos).

In line with its responsibility of investigating abandoned projects all over the country, the Committee found out that the contract for the 87km road which is supposed to start from Calabar-Itu road Junction in Ikot Ekpene and terminate at Odukpani Junction, was haphazardly and unprofessionally awarded due to political interest.

It was discovered that out of the proposed 87km, only 21.9km was awarded for construction at a whooping sum of 54 billion, with a large chunk of 65.1km not awarded. This is at gross variance with blatant lies by some persons that the entire stretch was awarded and work almost completed.

A breakdown of the “awarded” and “not awarded” portions of the road showed that Ikot Ekpene to Ididep which is 36.1Km had not been awarded, while the portion from Ididep to Ayadehe bridge which is a distance of only 12.2km was awarded. From Ayadehe bridge to the Power Plant which is 29km was also not awarded, while the remaining portion from the Power Plant to Odukpani Junction, totalling 9.7km, had been awarded.

Further investigations revealed that the contract, awarded on April 24, 2018, was supposed to last for 30 months but non-funding resulted in the suspension of the job in May 2019 by Julius Berger Plc. The project contractors, Julius Berger disclosed that they received only 7.4 billion out of the 54.1billion earmarked for the project, with about 60% of the 7.4 billion withheld for compensation purposes leaving them with a paltry 3.4 billion to execute the project, which was grossly inadequate. In other words, only less than 13% contract works and payment has been fulfilled.

The House of Representatives Committee wondered why the project would be punctuated by bushes in between, a situation it frowned at, describing it as unacceptable.

The Committee, having concluded investigations will present a final report about the actual state of the project to the National Assembly and the President through the Minister of Works and Housing. The committee has warned agents of falsehood peddling lies about the project to the undiscerning public, to desist forthwith.



Source:https://naijadriva./2019/11/18/national-assembly-committee-uncovers-the-truth-behind-abandoned-calabar-odukpani-itu-ikot-ekpene-road/

where is our oil money people

naijadrivablog:
Bad Okpoma-Oba Road, Cross River (near Ogoja and Ebonyi State)

the problem here is not bad roads, is overload

This isn't the first meeting being held concerning this road. Stop talking and start doing. I spent 5hours on Sunday and it was frustrating. We are tired.

Okoroawusa:
What was the state of the road before 2015 that made you to shout Next level?

BUT THEY PROMISED US CHANGE, THAT WITHIN A YEAR NIGERIA WILL BECOME LIKE DUBIA,CONSTANT POWER SUPPLY,NAIRA BEEN EQUAL TO DOLLAR,3M JOBS PER YEAR,FUEL 45 NAIRA, SINGLE INFLATION DIGIT RATE. BUT WHAT DO WE HAVE NOW?

Cross-Riverians are just to docile to get anything from a hardened goverment. Calabar is the only state capital linked to another by a single carraigeway.

It is a 6 metre wide road in and out of that city with a population of half a million, a seaport, one of the largest cement factories in Nigeria and numerous tank farms serving all the states on the eastern flank of Nigeria.

Just a six metre wide road for all that. You can imagine the carnage. It is an absolute shame on this country. When it was still an oil producer billions left the earth beneath her to build infrastructure in all other parts of Nigeria for decades while she has none.

Main reason for the bad roads in Nigeria is not lack of maintenance or construction of new roads, it is actually due to the excessive axle weight on the roads.

Cement, granite, fuel, steel etc distribution in Nigeria should not be on roads, rather should be by rail which is designed to carry more weight than the roads.

The entire cement and granite demand of Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Abia states is dependent on that Odukpani-Itu road. Why wont the road fail this way. Such heavy loads should be meant for trains only but not in Nigeria.

naijadrivablog:
Bad Okpoma-Oba Road, Cross River (near Ogoja and Ebonyi State)

How can y'all load a vehicle like this and still complain of bad roads?! Y'all deserve it

Because of how bad that road is, I paused my movement to Onitsha.

I can't spend more than the usual hours on the road.

If you get to that road in the evening, be ready to sleep on the road and continue your journey the next day.

The road is so sad mehn.

adanny01:
Main reason for the bad roads in Nigeria is not lack of maintenance or construction of new roads, it is actually due to the excessive axle weight on the roads.

Cement, granite, fuel, steel etc distribution in Nigeria should not be on roads, rather should be by rail which is designed to carry more weight than the roads.

The entire cement and granite demand of Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Abia states is dependent on that Odukpani-Itu road. Why wont the road fail this way. Such heavy loads should be meant for trains only but not in Nigeria.

It's just like a man with a pair of shoe.

Within 12 years, the shoes will open teeth.

Something bothers me with the South South.

It seems no one has noticed this

The project contractors, Julius Berger disclosed that they received only 7.4 billion out of the 54.1billion earmarked for the project, with about 60% of the 7.4 billion withheld for compensation purposes leaving them with a paltry 3.4 billion to execute the project, which was grossly inadequate. In other words, only less than 13% contract works and payment has been fulfilled.

Compensation in the South South is part of the reason why projects fail in that part of the country.

I have worked on a fail project that compensation was 6 times the project cost. The project failed even after FG spent N2billion.

This is also another project about to fail but the only thing the people care about is compensation. Why would a project not fail if 60% of the funds released is for compensation.

It is no secret that compensation in the south south especially is covered in extreme corruption.

The true situation of things

If it's in the north sharp sharp , they don't need to set any delegation for it but once it's for the South and East .....meetings upon meetings upon meetings.....If u are from SS/SE and u still support one Nigeriiia, u deserves to be hanged or stoned to death.

helinues:
The question should be how much have been awarded by both present and past government for this same roads?

Majority of the committes at Nigeria house of Reps are Jegudujera committee

What about the legislooters?

Cc lzaa gmbuharii afamed

TomMary:
A lady lost her pregnancy on the road last month

seriously?

adanny01:
Something bothers me with the South South.

It seems no one has noticed this



Compensation in the South South is part of the reason why projects fail in that part of the country.

I have worked on a fail project that compensation was 6 times the project cost. The project failed even after FG spent N2billion.

This is also another project about to fail but the only thing the people care about is compensation. Why would a project not fail if 60% of the funds released is for compensation.

It is no secret that compensation in the south south especially is covered in extreme corruption.

But you have to understand that the population density in the south is a lot higher than in most other parts. Land is scarce.

In the extreme south the geography is further worsened by waterways and endless swamps, basically unsuitable land for agriculture the mainstay of most Nigerians so land is bound to be expensive for any use whether goverment or private.

Then you must understand that these regions have already given up massive tracts of land to thousands of miles of oil and gas pipelines and right of ways, oil and gas facilities and the govwrment has to compete with the compensations the oil industry pays in certain circumstances.

adanny01:
Main reason for the bad roads in Nigeria is not lack of maintenance or construction of new roads, it is actually due to the excessive axle weight on the roads.

Cement, granite, fuel, steel etc distribution in Nigeria should not be on roads, rather should be by rail which is designed to carry more weight than the roads.

The entire cement and granite demand of Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Abia states is dependent on that Odukpani-Itu road. Why wont the road fail this way. Such heavy loads should be meant for trains only but not in Nigeria.

The British built railines in colonial Nigeria to do exactly that. Lower the cost of exported raw materials/business.

When folks often say colonial era roads were built better what they indirectly say is that there were functional alterrnatives to road transportation which preserved those roads making them last longer.

Now that the alternatives are no more the colonial era roads are all gone due to abuse and overuse.

We got it wrong starting in the General Murtala era when everything colonial era, white rule and expatriate including their vestages was jettisoned out of sheer sentiment. The railways were seen as an instrument of easy explotation and plunder of our resources and cash crops and so no new investment was made to enhance and expand it.

Rails were seen as transportation of the peons while road and air means were for the 'new, prosperous Nigerian unschackled from its colonial era overlords' so airports and highways were massively built in the 70's and early 80's leaving yhe railways to rot.

Foolish sentiment has barely left us decades after despite our pains, shame, waste of resources and countless lives lost to poor transportation infrastructure. Today we are still spending far more on roads, new roads, old roads and more roads than on rail lines. Sentiment may never leave us.

Goddex:
I saw this on a friend's timeline on Facebook

Do you mean MC Rosa?

Wigetsolar:
seriously?

Its not funny bro

naijadrivablog:
In Cross River alone, Naijadriva can confirm that after 8 Miles Calabar to Ugep (where local boys wait for sinking vehicles to push and make money), to Odukpani, to Biase are in a deplorable state.

Calabar - Ikom road is bad. It takes about 8 hours to get to Ikom. Okpoma-Oba Road is bad (near Ogoja and Ebonyi State).



More photos of some bad sections of the road:

Is it the same road GMB launched since 2015?

https://www.nairaland.com/2678907/buhari-launches-calabar-kastina-ala-super-highway

Stop lying, the road is completed.

cc omenka

imhotep:
What about the legislooters?

Cc lzaa gmbuharii afamed

,

Is it legislooter that award contracts?

If they don't blame governors, they will blame legislooters for a federal project.

anonimi:
How do we rescue ourselves from the dungeon we have walked into?


https://newswirengr.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Cartoon-9.jpg


www.nairaland.com/attachments/3929046_image_jpeg9f360c5ab7736510df54c882e9dbf188

Bros, d cartoon is so apt and a true reflection of d reality on ground. If that is d case, we have a long way to go in this country

agitator:
Is it the same road GMB launched since 2015?

https://www.nairaland.com/2678907/buhari-launches-calabar-kastina-ala-super-highway

Stop lying, the road is completed.

cc omenka,

Is it legislooter that award contracts?

If they don't blame governors, they will blame legislooters for a federal project.

Travel my friend. I just used that road some days ago.

That road the burst brain

Hmmmm

My dear cross riverians we don't have a governor rather a scammer on the seat of power, its a sad reality.!!

Wigetsolar:
Chai, this our road. As soon as you leave Calabar, from Ugep to Odukpani(Pamol and Mark Sino Construction axis), Akamkpa, Uyanga, through Biase are in a bad shape.


I dont advise a pregnant woman to pass that road because the bumps fit shit her womb.
The Federal Government should come to our aid.

This is even better, you have not seen oban - ekang road and it's a federal road that leads to the borders, very bad

isaacprinz:
My dear cross riverians we don't have a governor rather a scammer on the seat of power, its a sad reality.!!

Dancing shoki, the potholes no be here

superior1:
Nigeria as a whole is one abandoned project

By the British empire

Your head is correct

I sight you my Honourable Member, MACAIRE. Your representation was well deserved. Pls give us your best because you can do it.

naijadrivablog:
In Cross River alone, Naijadriva can confirm that after 8 Miles Calabar to Ugep (where local boys wait for sinking vehicles to push and make money), to Odukpani, to Biase are in a deplorable state.

Calabar - Ikom road is bad. It takes about 8 hours to get to Ikom. Okpoma-Oba Road is bad (near Ogoja and Ebonyi State).
No no


More photos of some bad sections of the road:

the Akamkpa Calabar road needs to be dualize to 4 lanes instead the one lane there...

that road is hell. took the route last yr.