Federal Government roads will henceforth be constructed with concrete rather than asphalt, Works Minister Dave Umahi has said.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved his proposal, the minister, a former Ebonyi State Governor, told reporters on Tuesday.
Umahi explained that the President was convinced of the advantages in building concrete roads, which the minister said is cheaper and more durable.
The minister also alleged that there were saboteurs in the ministry, who are conniving with some contractors to frustrate his plans. He vowed to flush them out and hand them over to anti-corruption agencies.
He spoke at Aso Villa after meeting with the President in Abuja.
Umahi said when roads are concreted, they would not only lessen demands for foreign exchange by contractors, but also create employment opportunities for thousands of Nigerians.
He alleged that the saboteurs in the ministry were conniving with contractors who use adulterated bitumen to build roads and inflate costs of projects.
The minister advised contractors in the habit of securing up to 20 contracts at a time to stop.
He alleged that “many contractors that NNPCL (Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited) paid to construct some roads have not started work.
He said: “Some of the contractors paid as much as N33 billion for road projects have not been to sites.
NNPCL is one of the companies okayed by the Federal Government to construct some highways under a programme known as the Infrastructure Tax Credit Scheme.
Umahi said: “I came to Villa to see Mr. President to discuss about road infrastructure. I want to thank God because Mr. President approved all my requests. And these requests are requests that will renew the hopes of Nigerians on our road sector development.
“The approvals will rejuvenate proper road construction. But let me clarify a number of issues, especially for the benefit of Nigerians and our stakeholders.
“There have been a kind of campaign by some quick fix contractors and some elements within who do not wish us well, who want us to continue with the old order.
“But we can’t continue to do the same thing over and over and expect a different result. The truth is that our roads are not good. The truth is that the past government earmarked a number of roads, which Mr. President inherited, close to about 18,897 kilometres totalling N14 trillion.”
Asked how the projects would be funded, he said: “By the ingenuity of our President, we are sure of funding of about N5.1 trillion, then, leaving the N6 trillion gap. This N6 trillion funding gap is as of May 29, 2023.
“I thank Mr. President very highly. He is a man who is committed to changing things in this country. He is committed to the completion of this 18,897 kilometre of roads.
All the interventions we requested – the East-West Road, the Abuja to Lokoja Road, the two broken bridges in Enugu, the Owerri-Onitsha road that got broken at two points and the Lagos Third Mainland bridge resurfacing. They all have been approved by Mr. President.
“We have set up a taskforce in all the locations where this approval that were made by Mr president to ensure that within three months, we would conclude all that are needed.
We are also deploying consultants to supervise our roads. Our engineers will also be at the sites to learn.”
Highlighting the advantages of concreted roads over asphalted ones, the minister said: “Roads constructed on asphalt in the 50s are much more durable than what we witness today.
“We are not saying people should not construct roads on asphalt, but if Nigerians are saying they should not have value for their money, that roads should continue to be constructed every year, then, it’s very unfortunate.
“That is what our ministry is fighting and we are ready. I’m very courageous to defend this. I learnt there is a gang-up by contractors, but there is no going back and Mr. President is backing this position.
“We are offering an alternative. What is the alternative? The alternative is what a reputable company is doing in Lagos with Dangote Group. The alternative is for you to go to Apapa-Oshodi Expressway and see what they are doing on concrete.
“Every day, you have over 500 static loads from the Apapa Wharf on that road, but you will not see any crack. No asphalt work; no matter who did the road can sustain pressure.
“We are saying that concrete is very friendly with water and so, we want our contractors to have an alternative. There is a catalyst in the use of concrete pavement. It will create jobs for our people. Everything about the construction is local. Ten manufacturers of cement have indicated interest in building cement factories.
“That is good for our economy. It will reduce pressure on the naira. Our roads are going to be much more durable. But we know that some people say it’s more expensive. But it is not.
On the saboteurs and contractors kicking against his plans, Umahi said: “There are some elements within that are also fighting me, who are also benefiting from the system and that is the greatest problem we have. I have been pretending, but I will flush those elements out and send them to ICPC(Independent Corrupt Practices and Other-Related Offences Commission) and others to handle them because nobody can hold this country to ransom.
“I am giving them the last chance to conform to what will help Mr. President to reset this country.”
The minister also said that contractors who abandoned their projects had been given 14-days to return to work or have their contracts terminated.
He, however, added that some contractors had keyed into his plans while some cement producers had agreed to discount prices.
He stressed: “Not all the contractors are in this gang up. Some have come to sign an addendum to do road pavements. Those who have not are going to be losers.”
The former Ebonyi State governor warned contractors against securing about 20 projects and deploying a few equipment to indicate their presence.
He said: “There are some contractors that are quoting for jobs and they have two equipment on site. It can no longer be the same. We have minimum requirements of equipment on site for a particular work. If you don’t have it, you will leave the site.
“Many of the contractors that NNPCL paid have not gone to site, some got N33 billion and have not been to sites.
