Nigerian Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi has frowned at the slow pace of work on Abuja-Kaduna-Kano highway project awarded 2017, while noted poor funding, insecurity as the major challenges affecting the timely completion of the road.
Umahi who made this known when he went on an inspection tour on the road project on Thursday promised that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was committed to sort out impeding factors to ensure that the contractor delivers the project in 2024.
He narrated, “Work on the 375.9 km dual-carriage Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria -Kano road is in three phases, with phase three Zaria-Kano at 100 per cent completion. Phase two Kaduna -Zaria was at 60 per cent completion and phase one was only at 20 per cent completion level”.
Umahi said, “I am here on the directive of Mr President, who has directed that I must be on site to see most of this ongoing projects before I can put figures together. He asked me to assure Kaduna people that this road is very important to him as part of his renewed hope agenda for Nigerians.
“He is committed to finishing the road, in 2024 and not 2025 as stated in the contract earlier, and we will match his word with action. We are satisfied with the quality of work but we are not satisfied with the pace of work, so we have to find out what are the problems.
“This road is very important, if it is security we will tackle it and provide security in each section where they are working and we also want to deploy solar lights on the roads,” the Minister added.
Though, Umahi expressed satisfaction with the quality of work on the road but urged the contractor to increase the pace of work by deploying more men and equipment to other sections of the road to ensure that work goes on simultaneously.
While at the State House Kaduna as part of the inspection tour, the Minister revealed that the Federal Government had placed priority on reconstruction of all federal roads that are presently in bad shape.
Umahi said in line with the importance that the President attached to North-west region, he and his team were in Kaduna following a presidential directive to tour all the six geopolitical zones of the country to assess the status of ongoing road projects.
According to him, “On Tuesday, we tour Abuja- Lokoja road, Wednesday had a meeting with the South-west contractors. Tomorrow, we will have a meeting with all the contractors working in the North-west region.
“On Saturday, we will focus on North Central, and on Sunday, we will turn our attention to another region.” While appealed to Nigerians to be patient with the government in its commitment to deliver a durable road that would stand the test of time.
The Deputy Governor, Dr. Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe, who received the Honorable Minister on behalf of the Governor, expressed satisfaction with the resumption of work on Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria road project.
She congratulated the Minister on his appointment by President Tinubu to oversee the Ministry of Works which she described as well-deserved, appealed to the Ministry to ensure speedy completion of the road project to improve security.
According to her, “I want to extend our congratulations to you from the governor, the Government and people of Kaduna state on your well deserved appointment by President Bola Tinubu to oversee the Federal Ministry of Works.
“This appointment is a testament of the trust and confidence the President has in you, as judged by your sterling performance in Ebonyi state, as governor”, the Deputy Governor added.