The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has said that the crack on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is not a structural failure, stating that he has received over 500 messages from Nigerians about the crack that was noticed on the road.
This was as he announced that the government needs a total sum of N3tn to fund the completion of all road projects ongoing under the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited tax credit scheme. Umahi spoke at a press conference to address the issues around the project on Wednesday in Abuja.
He noted that the section of the road where the crack was noticed had not been completed. “I have got over 500 concerns about a crack they noticed at the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway Highway Section 1. And I was wondering whether they’re sending it in good faith, or they’re sending it to mock me to say, look at the project you’re proud of, looking at what is happening. Let me tell you that nothing is happening. Nothing!
“Absolutely, it’s not an issue at all. That section has not been completed. Section 1 is 47.47 kilometres by six. And so you have the main carriageway, you have the shoulder, and so where you notice the crack is some huge section of the shoulder, and not the carriageway with stone base, where we are not presently working on. So, ladies and gentlemen, that thing is not a structural failure at all,” he clarified.
While calling on the members of the public to disregard the crack and the negative impression created from it, the Minister emphasised that there is no section of the completed carriageway that has cracked.
“I want the society to disregard that, you know, social media circulation, and to be assured that work is ongoing. In fact, I directed them to go and close these places. So it’s not an issue at all. Disregard it. And there is no section of the completed carriageway that has cracked, and it will not crack, he concluded.
Speaking further, he also revealed a N3tn funding deficit for roads under the road tax credit scheme following the decision by the state-owned oil company to stop its funding. Despite this, he said that no project under the scheme would be abandoned.
He said, President Bola Tinubu has directed that another means of funding should be provided for the projects to ensure they are completed. He added, “And for me, he is our President, you know, is a man with a large heart who decided to do that.
“So, now, we have NNPCL stopping the funding of the projects since the 1st of August. And so, we tabled the matter to the FEC at the last FEC on Thursday. And Mr.President, sitting as the Chairman of the Federal Executive Council, FEC, directed that we should provide another means of funding the project, and complete it.
“So, let me announce that Mr. President directed that no NNPCL project should stop, and that an alternative funding mechanism will be put in place to do it.”
The minister, however, warned contractors without the capacity to execute contracts of such magnitude to stay away, noting that the Ministry will not tolerate contractors hoping to play a game.
He said, “When we go into the exercise, we not leave the fate of our people in the hands of anybody that wants to play games, playing games to believe that along the line, the federal government will bring money to them, or that they will default, and then they will do call up option, whereby they go to take money from Federal Government.”
Meanwhile, the minister has disclosed plans to introduce spikes under flyover bridges to prevent the destruction of beams by overloaded trucks. He said the plan will be the use of a 6.5-meter gantry with spikes to stop the continuous destruction of beams, which are important to the sturdiness of the flyover.
He said the lack of it and disregard for traffic laws led to the destruction and closure of the beams holding the recently destroyed Keffi flyover. While stating that the situation is rampant on flyovers on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, he said the first will be implemented for the Keffi flyover.(punch)
