• Minister expresses satisfaction with contractors handling Enugu–Onitsha road
Works Minister David Umahi has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has broken the jinx of failed road contracts in the Southeast.
He also expressed satisfaction with the contractors handling the Enugu–Onitsha road for doing a good job.
The minister spoke at the weekend as he unveiled tougher engineering standards, strict deadlines and new technology to secure highways across the region.
He addressed reporters in Enugu after an extensive inspection tour of major federal road and bridge projects across the Southeast and the Southsouth regions.
Umahi said the Federal Government had placed a nationwide ban on all forms of mining activities within a 10-kilometre radius of bridges, as part of measures to safeguard critical infrastructure and enhance safety on highways.
The minister said the ban followed an approval of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), stressing that enforcement mechanisms, including water patrols, would be deployed to ensure compliance, particularly around major bridges.
“In line with the Federal Executive Council’s directive, there will be no mining of any sort within a 10-kilometre radius of bridges nationwide.
“We are deploying patrol boats, just like we have done at the Third Mainland Bridge, to monitor compliance,” he said.
The minister also announced a comprehensive rollout of CCTV surveillance systems and solar-powered streetlights on federal highways, beginning with completed and critical corridors.
According to him, the initiative —already implemented on the Second Niger Bridge and Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos — is aimed at improving road safety, preventing criminal activities, and ensuring rapid emergency response.
“Our commitment to deploying CCTV and solar lighting is not limited to bridges alone. Any completed federal highway will have CCTV, solar lights, and dedicated security vehicles. Our response time to incidents will not exceed five minutes,” Umahi stated.
The minister said two operational vehicles have been procured for the police, with a monthly maintenance support of N3 million provided by the ministry to patrol the Second Niger Bridge.
He expressed satisfaction with the progress of the 17.5-kilometre eastern bypass of the Second Niger Bridge, being executed by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCCC) at a cost of about N179 billion.
Umahi said about 30 per cent of the project funding had been released, with plans to increase it to 50 per cent.
The minister announced that a part of the project is expected to be inaugurated on April 20.
The bypass includes two bridges and two flyovers, which the minister described as “impressive and well executed”.
Umahi described the beleaguered Enugu–Onitsha expressway as a major intervention driven by President Tinubu’s commitment to the Southeast.
The 107-kilometre dual carriageway project, initially awarded to MTN under a tax credit scheme, had suffered years of delay.
The minister said the scope was recently reviewed due to inflation and exchange rate fluctuations.
“This is a road previous governments abandoned for decades. It is the audacity and determination of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that is ending this nightmare,” he said.
Umahi stresssed that 15-kilometre and 18-kilometre sections of the road were being reconstructed with reinforced concrete, while the other less-damaged sections would be done with asphalt.
According to him, the first 15-kilometre carriageway is expected to be completed within two weeks, alongside the installation of solar lights.
The minister also announced a new policy prohibiting the removal of existing asphalt from federal roads.
“No place in the country should remove asphalt from our roads again. We now have different treatments for different roads,” he said.
Umahi explained that future designs would feature concrete shoulders on both sides, while carriageways would be strengthened using stone base, cement stabilisation, and improved asphalt layers.
The minister also provided updates on the Enugu–Port Harcourt Expressway, confirming that 61 kilometres on the Enugu-bound lane and three kilometres on the Port Harcourt-bound lane have been fully completed.
He assured the region that the corridor would be fixed before 2026.
Umahi also spoke on the Enugu–Ebonyi road, saying the Federal Government was reconstructing the stretch beyond the section already dualised by the Enugu State government.
The ₦180 billion project, the minister said, would be executed in phases: the first phase to be completed this year.
He warned that the Federal Government would not accept underperforming contractors, particularly CGC, handling parts of the Second Niger Bridge bypasses.
Umahi said the company would be given 60 days to improve performance or risk contract termination and possible recovery of funds through performance guarantees.
The minister reaffirmed the Federal Government’s resolve to deliver durable, safe, and modern road infrastructure across the Southeast and across the country.
Also, Umahi has expressed satisfaction with the quality and pace of work being carried out by MTN Nigeria and its contractors on the reconstruction of the Enugu–Onitsha Road.
Umahi announced this while addressing reporters at the weekend after inspecting reconstruction works on major federal roads in the Southeast.
These include the critical Enugu–Onitsha corridor, long regarded as one of the most problematic highways in the region.
The minister said the renewed attention on the road was a direct result of the commitment and determination of President Tinubu to address long-neglected infrastructure in the Southeast.
“The Enugu–Onitsha Road has been a nightmare for decades. Previous governments, up to eight of them, never worked on this road. What we are seeing today is due to the audacity, determination and love President Tinubu has for the people of the Southeast,” Umahi said.
The minister noted that the 107-kilometre project was initially awarded to MTN Nigeria under the tax credit scheme at N202 billion, out of which works valued at about N50 billion had been executed before the current administration came on board.
He stated that following the floating of the naira and removal of fuel subsidy, project costs escalated, necessitating a re-scoping of the work to fit within available funds.
Umahi said MTN, working with subcontractors – Nigercat and RCC – is handling the adjusted scope of work.
“We are satisfied with what they have done so far. Where we have objections, we have pointed them out, and they have agreed to make corrections,” the minister stated.
He said April 28 has been set as the target completion date for the ongoing phase, adding that the remaining works cover about 72 kilometres spread across four sections.
According to him, two of the most critical sections — measuring 15 kilometres and 18 kilometres — are being constructed with reinforced concrete.
“In the next two weeks, the first 15 kilometres of the carriageway will be completed, with only the shoulders remaining. We have also directed that solar streetlights should be completed on the first five kilometres by next week,” Umahi said.
The minister announced that the Federal Ministry of Works was considering SKC to install solar streetlights on the 107-kilometre stretch, excluding sections where the Anambra State government has provided lighting.
He said the Enugu–Onitsha road project would be “a sight to behold” upon completion.
Umahi also said all credit would go to President Tinubu for his administration’s commitment to ending decades of hardship faced by road users.
“All the nightmares on that road will come to an end under President Tinubu. The Southeast should be grateful because what we have long expected has come to pass,” Umahi said.
The minister applauded the performance of all contractors on site, including Nigercat, RCC, and SKC.
He added that while asphalt would be used on less damaged sections, priority was being given to the worst portions of the road.
“We count one before we count two. The most terrible sections must be fixed first before moving to the relatively better areas,” Umahi added.
