The Federal Government has issued a fresh warning to Julius Berger (JB), China Civil Engineering and Construction Company (CCECC) and the Raynolds Construction Company handling portions of the East-West Road, to mobilize to the site or risk termination of their contracts.
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, bared the minds of the federal government during the stakeholders’ engagement on the alignment of 3b and 4 of the Lagos Calabar Coastal Highway held at Ibom Hall, Uyo Akwa Ibom State on Saturday.
The Minister threatened that after the expiration of the 14-day notice earlier given to the contractors by next week, any of them who failed to mobilise to the site would have their contract terminated and rewarded to another company.
Umahi expressed disappointment that the contractors have been giving non-payment of compensation as an excuse for not mobilising to the site, noting that the Akwa Ibom State government had already settled the compensation issues as it concerns the Calabar-Itu Highway.
He said “If you talk to them they will say it is because of compensation and this governor, Akwa-Ibom State, had settled compensation issues and so we are giving them a marching order to ECECC to mobilise at least 3 sections of that road.
“Mr President has given enough money to fund the projects. The same thing with Julius Berger, by the end of this coming week, if Julius Berger fails to remobilize to the site and the ECECC fails to mobilize to at least 3 sections of the road, the jobs will be terminated.
“The worst of the road in the entire South-South remains this Akwa Ibom to Cross River through Itu and Odukpani and also the section that is being done by RCC. RCC had collected over N40bn on that road 15 kilometres of roads, N156bn inherited from the past administration, they are playing tricks.
“We have been on them to change their mindset and by the end of next week our 14 days notice of termination of the contract will elapse, and we will terminate the projects and give to those who have mastery of laying concrete”
He assured that construction on sections 3b and 4 of the Lagos/Calabar Coastal Highway will commence before the end of August 2024.
Also speaking during the Stakeholders’ meeting, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio called on the state governor, Umo Eno and all the stakeholders to show maximum cooperation to the contractors when the project kicks off.
He appreciated the President, Bola Tinubu for listening to his plea to ensure that the Coastal highway passes through Akwa Ibom State and for the construction to be carried out at the same with the Lagos section so it would be completed in record time.
“I want to sincerely thank Mr President for listening to my plea that the road be constructed simultaneously in Akwa Ibom and Cross River States,” Akpabio noted.
In his remarks, the governor of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Eno who disclosed that his government had paid compensation with regard to the Calabar-Itu road, assured that his administration would give adequate support in terms of security and other logistics to ensure the completion of the road in record time.
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