The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has knocked contractors and ministry engineers for conniving to sabotage road construction projects in many parts of the country.
The Minister, at the weekend, chided the contractors handling the Enugu-Port Harcourt road (Abakpa – Emene junction section) during an inspection tour of the project.
The Minister, during inspection, discovered that the contractor used substandard materials to do the job, even when the government engineers were on the ground to supervise the project.
Umahi also complained about the use of unqualified engineers on government project sites by the contractor.
“We paid N33 billion on this job since September, yet nothing reasonable has been done on the job. And we are here under our nose, you continue to fill the job with useless laterite. If it is even laterite, it’s a different ball game, but this is clay.
“By right, he is not even supposed to be on the job. Only COREN registered engineers are allowed to be on our project sites.
“You people (ministry engineers) are here and look at what is happening. All engineers of the ministry should report to Abuja first thing on Monday. Write to RCC Management to see us. It’s a shame.” Umahi said
The Minister further explained how he had indicted the particular Ministry’s engineer on five different occasions and suspending him for shoddy jobs at project sites.
He ordered that the Ministry’s engineer be sent out of the project site immediately.
Addressing the engineer, Umahi said, “each time I come, you seem not to know what you are doing. I suspended you before and then recalled you.
“Look at what you are doing to yourself and the nation. At the end of the day, they will call the President and the Minister. But look at what you people are doing to the nation.
“I was here, and they did exactly the same thing, and there was nothing in it, and we paid very high for sharp sand. This job has to stop.”
While fielding questions from journalists, Umahi said though funding has been a major challenge for the project, President Tinubu has been very committed to ensuring that all critical roads across the regions of the country get a face lift.
“We have a section of Enugu-Port Horcourt road. The entire section is handled by four different contractors.
“Funding has been a very huge problem on this job, but Mr. President has directed that everything should be done to complete some of the critical roads in all the regions of Nigeria. That is why I am going round to inspect some of the critical roads.
“Today, I am here on this road. I have visited all the sections, and all the contractors are back to site. I have appealed to those who are being owed that we are looking critically at the directive of Mr. President who is doing everything possible to source for funds to complete a number of critical projects scattered all over the regions of Nigeria.
“Today, we have agreed with the contractor on how to redesign this road for effectiveness and stability”, Umahi said.