Umahi Gives 14-day Termination Notice to CCECC on Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway

•Decries poor project execution on 43km road  

•Says Tinubu inherited terrible road infrastructure

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja and Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

Minister of Works, David Umahi, has reprimanded the poor construction methodology deployed by China Civil Engineering Construction Company Limited (CCECC) on the rehabilitation works on the Aba bound portion of the rehabilitation of the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway, contract No. 6252.

A statement in Abuja by the minister’s spokesman, Uchenna Orji, said that this was in accordance with Umahi’s avowed determination to entrench the new construction codes and regulations in the  method of  construction works under the Federal Ministry of Works.

The minister, who was on a routine supervision of ongoing road projects within South-south and South-east on Sunday , expressed displeasure over the ‘recalcitrance’ of the contractor in complying with the new construction codes and regulations which are aimed at building enduring road infrastructure  for the nation.

Speaking during  the inspection visit, Umahi decried the state  of the 43-km  Aba-Port Harcourt  inherited ongoing project handled by CCECC, which he said was on the verge of total collapse.

He thereafter directed that a 14-day notice of termination be issued to the contractor, having regard to the various warning letters issued to the contractor over its poor construction performance on the said job.

He further directed  that the Port Harcourt bound portion of the project be ‘descoped’ and re-awarded to a competent contractor.

He said: “If you get to the Port Harcourt end, which they did about two years or thereabout, the entire road has almost totally failed. We have been writing them to maintain this road. They have refused, and so I have to take responsibility and make a decision. Number one, the Port Harcourt bound is descoped, no longer going to be done by CCECC.

“I will direct the Ministry of Works to scout out for very qualified indigenous contractors to handle the Port Harcourt bound. They should be the contractor that will start work immediately while we sort out funds for them. Number two, for the site handled by CCECC, they should issue them 14 days  notice of termination of the job.

“And I want this directive to go very wide. After 14 days, they fail to mill out the binder and replace it properly, the job will be terminated; they have to initiate it; they have to commit to doing that.

“Even if they are going to do it during the dry season, they have to maintain the ones that they have done and they put it in writing that they’re going to mill out the binder at their own cost, and then be able to put in a new binder, which we have paid for,” he stated.

He reiterated  that putting binder for a stretch of the project without putting ‘wearing’ is unacceptable.

However, the minister has commended the quality of work on the rehabilitation and reconstruction  of the Enugu-Port Harcourt Dual Carriageway, Section II – Umuahia  Tower-Aba Rail/ Road crossing in Abia State, Contract  No. 6209  handled  by M/S  Arab Contractors  O. A. O Nigeria Limited.

The 56km inherited ongoing project was noted to have reached 85% completion. “They are one of our best, the first five.  Even we want them to maintain from Aba to Umuahia, the completed section. So they’re working very hard. The controller is also doing very well.

“I wish the controller to visit all the projects of the federal government in Abia state. He should be able to visit all the projects in Abia State at least once a week, so that if there is a problem of impending danger, or an impending problem of cost, you will let us know,” he added.

The minister noted the terrible situation of inherited road projects nationwide, which are all receiving priority intervention by the administration of President Bola Tinubu and thanked the Nigerian leader for the encouragement given to the Federal Ministry of Works to turn around the road development trajectory of Nigeria.

“In Nigeria, all the roads became a priority because of the terrible situation of the roads that the President inherited. But he’s doing his best. And we are also working with him to offer our best in the country.

“We feel so bad when our people can’t move from one point to the other all over the country. I feel so sad. That is usually my lowest moment. But, I’m still encouraged by the support the president is giving on roads and bridges because that is the basis of economic activities.

“I think that we are very lucky to have him because the economy is breaking through now. We are the ‘third largest’ growing economy in the whole world, so we will get there,” he assured.