Nigerian Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi has declared that every road projects must have a certified member of Council for Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) as project manager for all contracts and must have atleast 15years working experience on road construction.
Umahi made the declaration while accompanied by Deputy Governor of Delta State, Chief (Sir) Monday John Onyeme and the State Commissioner for Roads and Bridges, Osazemen Ethan Uzamere with stakeholders in a tour to ongoing road construction works in Edo and Delta States respectively on Monday.
According to him, “On the side of the contractors there are no good intentions, they don’t have enough personnel that are qualified, I have just directed that every project must have a Council for the Regulution of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) registered engineer.
“To be the project manager for all contracts for every company on road and the person must not have less than 15years on road construction and I have also directed that we shall no more do surface dressing on our road shoulders, I have directed that all projects must stop and be redesigned on concrete.
“The truth is that non of these roads that are built from Abuja to Benin will last more than 5years and its very unfortunate that our roads are failing because contractors don’t do what is called penetration test, we also have adulterated bitumen, the bitumen imported into Nigeria adulterated, they should go to Ondo and Ogun State and develop our abundant bitumen there”, he said.
He added, “We don’t want to put anybody out of business but we must develop our economy, they should employ our engineers; material engineers, geo technical engineers, surveyors, structural engineers and road engineers.
Umahi said further that every project should not have less than seven professionals supervising it, for Ministry of Works, we are going to reset our road construction so that the people can smile again under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
During the joint inspection, Levant Construction Company handling some of the Federal Government road projects linking Edo and Delta States in Benin were directed by the Minister to do maintainance work of the construction of Benin – Sapele road at night and that work should start immediately, while the bad spots should be made motorable within 30days.
Umahi said, “we have directed them to immidiately maintain the road, we are redesigning the road irrespective of the fact that they have gotten advance payment, we’re redesigning the road on concrete.
“We have agreed with the commissioner of Works and Bridges in Edo State that the drains should be opened so that the water can go out in order for the contractor to maintain the road, I am giving the contractor 7days to come up with the new design so that we all look at it together”, he said.
The Minister added, “I have looked at the road projects from Abuja to Benin City, the intention of the past administration all the way from Abuja to Benin City, very wonderful intention I commend the initiative but Nigerians do not have value for all money spent on the roads.
“I was on the road for 14hours with all the securities attached to me and if I could be on the road for 14hours imagine what ordinary Nigerians are passing through without security , this is not acceptable “.
“Unless we change our procurement process, this country cannot move forward. I am very happy that Mr President is a man of infrastructure, he is a man that knows how every aspect of this country will be reset, I am very happy about that, and I will do everything within my power to support him” Umahi told the States stakeholders.
Earlier in Benin, a community group known as Sapele Road Bypass Axis Group ( SARBAR), through its Association General Secretary Pastor Moses Omo- Osagiede said, “We are happy with the visit of the Minister to Edo State on road inspection and we do hope that the maintenance work will be done quickly”
Similarly, a bus driver Mr Emmanuel Felix who volunteered to speak on behalf of other drivers who ply Sapele Road Bypass Axis and the Benin –Sapele –Warri road regularly said, “we hope with the inspection of the road by the Minister and this team, the contractor will do a good job and not their usual fake road works”.