Alhaji Muazu Sambo, Minister of State for Works and Housing, says there is a provision of N3bn Sukuk fund in 2022 by the Federal Government to finance the Numan- Jalingo Road in Adamawa and Taraba states.
Sambo announced this on Saturday during an inspection of federal road projects within Taraba and Adamawa states.
He gave the assurance that once the Sukuk fund was accessed within a shot time, there would be remarkable progress at the construction site.
“The 103 kilometre Numan- Jalingo road is part of the Maiduguri–Calabar Highway.
“The section of the road that is not motorable is not acceptable for the road is the only connection between the North and South on the North Eastern axis of the country,” Sambo said.
The minister said that he wouldn’t blame the contractor for the slow pace of work.
According to him, it was due to the insufficient budgetary provision in the past and COVID-19 pandemic that affected the progress of work.
He, however, said that with the current improved funding provision, the contractor was expected to service its equipment and be more serious on the construction work.
He said if the company was found not to have the capacity to complete the job, government would not hesitate to terminate the contract and re-award it to a competent one.
While briefing the Minister on the progress of work on the Numan- Jalingo road, a Senior Civil Engineer at the site, Maria Zirrah representing the Federal Controller of Works Adamawa, said insecurity, lack of construction materials and funding were responsible for the slow pace of work on the project.
Also, the Project Engineer of Deux Project Limited, the contractor for the Numan-Jalingo project, Frank Koshihuk who spoke on behalf of the contractor, said inflation, funding , insecurity were the major challenges on the construction work.
Koshihuk promised that as soon as the funding pattern for the rahabilation improved, the work would be completed within 8 months .
NAN reports that the minister also inspected the construction of Zing –Yakoko-Monkin Road in Taraba during his two-day working visit.
The Numan-Jalingo road rehabilitation was awarded to Deux Project Nigeria Ltd at the cost of N11.6bn in March 2017 to be completed in July 2019.
NAN reports that the Federal Government has released N1.5bn to the contractor who has executed seven per cent of the work.
(NAN)