President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the rehabilitation of the remaining 127 kilometres of Section I on the Abuja-Kano highway with concrete pavement technology, The Nation has learnt.
Section I of the highway, which covers Abuja to Kaduna, was previously redesigned for asphaltic pavement.
The three sections’ contract was initially awarded to Julius Berger Nigeria PLC on December 20, 2017 at ₦155,748,178,425.50 billion with a completion period of 36 months.
But a statement on Tuesday by the Director of Press and Public Relations in the Ministry of Works, Mohammed Ahmed, explained that due to one reason or another, only Section II, covering Kaduna to Zaria, had been completed and partly handed over while Section III, covering Zaria to Kano, was also partially completed.
Section I remained in a deplorable state, worsened by continuous wear and tear, as well as the vagaries of the weather.
But Ahmed stressed that to ameliorate the suffering of road users on the alignment and in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the current administration to enhance critical infrastructure and transportation as enablers of growth, the section was redesigned and re-scoped.
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It was learnt that the section was divided into two phases with Section I, Phase I covering 38 kilometres and redesigned to be built with CRCP (rigid/concrete pavement) and awarded to Messrs Dangote Industries Limited, who subcontracted it to Hitech Africa Construction Limited.
The Federal Government had issued a notice of termination of the contract to Julius Berger on Tuesday, November 4, 2024, due to what it called the unwillingness of the contractor to agree with its reviewed contract terms.
The statement reads: “However, due to the slow pace of work and abandonment of the remaining 127 kilometres, also considering the plight of road users and, most importantly, its socioeconomic impact as a gateway to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) from the North, the Minister of Works, David Umahi, has continuously engaged the company to accept the final reviewed contract sum and remobilise to site.
“The lackadaisical approach to the project by the company, despite several variations and augmentations, prompted the ministry to convey the approval of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for a Final Offer of a reviewed contract sum of N740,797,204,173.25.
“They were asked to accept the offer within seven days or the contract will be terminated. The ultimatum expired on November 4, 2024 and the company had already been served a 14-day Notice of Termination of Contract.
“The minister had hinted, at different fora, that if Julius Berger Nigeria Plc was not willing to continue with the project at the agreed amount, it may as well come out plain, as the ministry is ready to do it on concrete while maintaining the same quality with that of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway or the Apapa-Oworonshoki Expressway, which is built to last for between 50 to 100 years.
“Umahi also maintained that President Tinubu is very worried about the stalemate on the remaining section of this very important road and is eager to see it resolved for work to commence, in earnest.”
