Nigeria Directs Contractors Back To Site, Releases 50% Of Funds For Palliative Road Works

The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has charged the contractors under the federal ministry of works to return to site, noting that the federal government has already released 50 per cent of the approved funds for carrying out palliative works on Nigerian roads.He also urged the contractors to brace themselves for the standard of work and delivery time frame required of every contractor under the current administration.The minister gave the charge in a meeting with the directors of the ministry and the contractors held at the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja.Umahi emphasised that going forward, contractors must take into account the plight of Nigerians on road infrastructure development in executing their projects.He maintained that the ministry means business and would not take excuses from contractors.The minister assured them that the ministry would consider the review of contracts previously consummated in line with set parameters and prevailing economic situations, and that all generated certificates would be verified and paid accordingly.He urged them to ensure that all issues of contract variations were brought to the notice of the relevant departments of the ministry and thanked President Bola Tinubu for the prompt release of funds for palliative works.”The Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) has approved over 80 per cent of requests for palliative projects. Those who indicated interest in the palliative project should please come to the ministry to collect award letters and complete documentation.“Mr. President has graciously released 50 per cent of funds on palliative work, and so he wants to see action in all the 36 states and Abuja,” he added.The minister used the opportunity to announce the reorganisation of the supervision structure for the special projects across the nation and introduced a special mechanism for tracking of certificates generated by contractors.He expressed hope that with the new initiative each state of the federation would record not less than 150km roads in the federal roads network in the year 2024, in addition to the special road projects funded through different extra budgetary platforms.Earlier in his remarks, the representative of the Permanent Secretary and Director Highway, Bridges and Design, Awosanya Onatuga, stated that the meeting of the directors and contractors with the minister was part of the agenda setting for the year 2024.He stated that the essence was to take the task of performance that would help them move the works sub-sector forward in accordance with the innovative plans of the federal government.”We can say we did very well towards the end of last year. There were no adverse reports on any blockage, people sleeping on the road. Yes, we have not done so much; we are not where we are supposed to be, but with the spirit of the Minister, the can-do spirit, and it’s not slowing down, we are on the right track,” he added.

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

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