The Nation Newspaper

Tag: CCECC

  • Angry residents protest CCECC’s neglect over rock blasts

    Angry residents protest CCECC’s neglect over rock blasts

    •Soldiers disperse protesters

    Angry residents of Garam community, a suburb of Bwari council of FCT located in Tafa Local Government Area of Niger State, yesterday, stopped workers of Chinese Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC) handling the Abuja- Kaduna railway project from working.

    The angry mob numbering about 50 mobilised themselves as early as 6:30 am to the construction site, alleging the firm has been insensitive in handling the compensation due to them.

    They blocked all the entry and exit points to different sites of the company in the locality with rocks, forcing workers comprising Nigerians and Chinese to abandon work for the day.

    Some of the company’s trucks that had arrived at the sites very early were also prevented from going in or out.

    The aggrieved residents are those whose properties were damaged by a twin-rock blast engineered by the company in February while constructing the railway line.

    It was gathered the company’s Public Relations Manager, Aminu Mohammed, appealed to the affected residents that CCECC would take responsibility for the blasts and compensate all the victims adequately.

    Residents took to the streets after claiming to have waited endlessly for the firm to fulfill its promises.

    They said the commencement of rainfall has made living in those damaged houses very uncomfortable.

    While the protest lasted, the company’s Personnel Manager, Davids Oladokun, apologised for the damages and discomfort the blasts have caused them.

    He assured that the company had already started taking stock of damages with a view to giving adequate compensation to the victims.

     

    Oladokun, who said he shared in the grief of the victims, pleaded with them to exercise patience.

    But not long after his departure, a detachment of soldiers attached to the site office of the company arrived in a Hilux Toyota Van.

    The heavily armed soldiers ordered that all roads blocked by the protesters be reopened.

    It was gathered a Chinese who was earlier denied exit by protesters invited the soldiers.

    One of the affected residents, Joe Joseph whose house was damaged, said: “Since rain has started, it has become difficult for us to live in this house.”

  • That diversion by LAMATA, CCECC in Ikorodu

    SIR: The extension of the BRT corridor from Mile 12 to Ikorodu by the present administration in Lagos State could not have come at a better time. I am more convinced that the Babatunde Raji Fashola led government in the state is truly planning for the future of Lagos as mega city.

    No one can contradict the fact that the future of Lagos lies not in the fully built-up Ikeja or Victoria Island or Yaba but in the interior and developing localities of Ikorodu, Epe, Badagry and others, and any government that is truly desirous of planning ahead must begin to expand and upgrade infrastructures around these places.

    Words may not be enough to convey our appreciation to the BRF government for this timely intervention in the road infrastructure and transportation system of Ikorodu. This project is truly timely.

    However, while residents of Ikorodu continue to bear the inconveniences that come with a project of such magnitude, it is pertinent to mention that the attitude of the major contractor, CCECC and the supervising agency, LAMATA, is making the whole project look like a waste of time and resources, financial and human.

    The road diversions and closures as well as the deplorable state of usable portion of the stretch are causing serious discomfort and unquantifiable waste of productive time to residents along that axis. On a bad day, people spend six hours driving to and from work on the road, arriving their various places of work already spent resulting in low productivity and dwindling economy on the long run.

    Agreed that the attitude of drivers, commercial and private alike, contribute to the problem we face but it is rather unfortunate that road traffic managers are helpless due to the nature of the diversions, which makes control and enforcement almost impossible!

    I must not fail to commend the efforts of LASTMA officials on this stretch. They are presently working in extreme conditions. Yes they are!

    The most worrying and disturbing part of the closures and diversions is the recent closure of the U-turn by Mallo Filling Station which leads into Fela Ahmed Street, the major entrance into Agric-Ishawo-Owutu. This closure is ill-conceived.

    The closure of this major U-turn can only be seen as a policy somersault on the part of LAMATA as a government agency and the supervising agency for this project.

    It is now a daily occurrence to spend an average of two hours between Ogolonto and the new U-turn some 800metres ahead at Haruna bus stop. It is totally a betrayal of common sense on the part of the initiators.

    God forbid a situation where an emergency occurs around Agric, and one must get to Ogolonto or Haruna bus stops to make a turn before getting to the Ikorodu General Hospital at Ota-ona, the only government hospital in the entire Ikorodu! Definitely, the victim would have reached heaven three times before getting any medical attention.

    The road is being done for the people to enjoy and they truly deserve to enjoy it when it is completed and the money expended will have come to waste if the people suffer for government’s commitment to their cause.

    While the governor and government has demonstrated and fulfilled its electoral promises to make life better for the people, agencies like LAMATA and its contractor, CCECC should not make mockery of government’s sincerity by not listening to the people and sharing their opinion on a facility they will be enjoying, after all, the people cannot not relocate to Beijing or Guangzhou or Shanghai even if their interest are not properly protected in the place of their birth!

     

    • Yomi Ajayi

    Ishawo Road, Agric-Ikorodu.

     

  • Chinese firm begins construction of new terminal at MMIA

    Chinese firm begins construction of new terminal at MMIA

    • AIC alleges impunity by FAAN

    Chinese Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC) yesterday mobilised to site at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos to begin construction work on the new ultra-modern international terminal.

    The commencement of preliminary work by the firm is part of the agreement the Federal Government signed with the Chinese Government for the development of five ultra-modern international airport terminals in major cities, including Abuja, Port Harcourt , Kano and Enugu.

    General Manager, Corporate Communication, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria ( FAAN), Yakubu Dati, who confirmed the development, said the Chinese firm has started preliminary work, namely, soil tests and site mapping, adding that this was a follow up to the project that started in Enugu on May 18, this year.

    He said on completion, the new terminal would enhance the chances of the airport becoming the major hub in West Africa.

    The MMIA project is the second of the five projects in which work has started. The Enugu project was the first and its foundation laying ceremony was performed by President Jonathan on May 18, the same day that the remodelled terminal of Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, was also inaugurated.

    On completion, the new terminal at MMA would enhance the chances of the airport becoming the major hub in the West African Air Transport Region.

    Meanwhile, AIC Limited has kicked over the construction, alleging that FAAN colluded with the Chinese firm. It described the take over of the land for its proposed hotel as an impunity.

    AIC Limited’s Director, Mr Niyi Akande, said FAAN, violated its lease agreement by granting access to the Chinese firm to get into its site, adding that FAAN had violated the court order which directed that parties to the disputed land to await further decisions.

  • Ibaka Seaport will enhance economy, says Akpabio

    Ibaka Seaport will enhance economy, says Akpabio

    Akwa Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio has restated his commitment to the Ibaka Deep Seaport project. He expressed the hope that a substantial part of the project would be completed before he leaves office.

    Akpabio spoke at the presentation of an architectural design of the project to him by the Managing Director of China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC), Mr Shi Hong Bing and the management team in Abuja.

    Akpabio said he was elated with the Chinese firm’s interest in the maritime industry because, according to him, the Ibaka Deep Seaport represented the future of the industry.

    Akpabio said: “I see a future for Ibaka in the Gulf of Guinea. It will help to decongest existing ports in Nigeria and also make it the attractive destination for shippers. It will become a major trans-shipment destination because of the depth of the water.

    “It will also be of advantage to countries bordering Nigeria along the coastline. Akwa Ibom State has the largest and longest coastline in the country and we are glad that your company is interested in making use of these numerous advantages.”

    Akpabio noted the reception the Chinese government and CCECC gave to President Goodluck Jonathan during his visit to China, saying he was delighted by the cooperation between both countries.

    Bing thanked Akpabio for his confidence in the company and pledged his commitment to maintaining standards in projects in the state.

    He said the Speaker of the Chinese parliament would visit Nigeria from September 18 to 20, adding that he looked forward to using the visit as a platform for the signing of a memorandum of understanding on the project to facilitate the sourcing of funds from financial institutions.

    Bing said: “The first phase of the project is estimated to cost about $3 billion so we need more investors to partner CCECC and Akwa Ibom State government to make the project a reality.”

  • Akwa Ibom, Chinese firm partner on Ibaka seaport

    Akwa Ibom, Chinese firm partner on Ibaka seaport

    The Chinese Civil Engineering Construction Company(CCECC) has pledged to work with the Akwa Ibom State government on the Ibaka Deep Seaport project.

    CCECC Managing Director in Nigeria Mr Shi Hong Bing told Governor Godswill Akpabio in Abuja that the firm would ensure that the seaport becomes a reality.

    Bing, who praised Akpabio for allowing the firm to construct some roads in the state, said it was involved in similar projects in other parts of Africa.

    He acknowledged the infra-structural facilities in Akwa Ibom, urging Governor Akpabio to keep up the good work.

    Governor Akpabio said it would be fantastic to collaborate with the firm in the construction of the seaport, adding that the committee on the project, which is on a road show, would meet with the company to work out the areas of cooperation.

    Chief Akpabio, who described Akwa Ibom as “work in progress”, praised the company for the quality of work it has done in the state.

    “CCECC and the government of Akwa Ibom State under my leadership have been good partners.  And it is a partnership that has produced results.

    “The first road contract that was awarded to your company was delivered in time complete with the best street lights and drainage in the country. And recently we signed a contract for the dualisation of Etinan-Eket road and more jobs are coming.

    “It is not a function of lobbying for the job but that of quality, good pricing and record time delivery.  We look forward to continuous partnership,” he said.

    The governor reiterated that the seaport would promote commerce and complement the port in Lagos and also serve as a major transshipment point for the West African coast. He said the project would also provide employment for many.

  • Lagos explains slow pace of work on Badagry expressway

    Lagos State Government has explained the reason for the purported slow pace of work on the Lagos Badagry Expressway by CCECC, the firm handling the project.

    A statement from the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure said the government was not unmindful of the challenges to many users of the road.

    It said the plan was to reconstruct the stretch from Eric Moore through to Seme Border but it has been phased due to the huge financial implications.

    The statement said the Lot 1, which is the first phase of the project, demonstrates the vision of the Fashola administration on the road.

    The second phase, being handled by CCECC, has further been broken into three because of the financial position of the state.

    This phase will be from Mazamaza to Okokomaiko.

    It emphasised that the Lot 2A (from MazaMaza to Okokomaiko) was awarded late last year and the contractor mobilised early this year, noting that the stretch in this phase is highly built up requiring extensive removal of obstruction and relocation of services.

    “This is what is going on and is being construed as slow pace of work,” the statement said.

    Furthermore it said aside from the removal of the obstructing structures on the Right of Way of the road, the state government has since started the relocation of essential services on this axis, which include water mains, PHCN facilities, PTOs facilities and the like.  These facilities the ministry said are not easily replaced due to their importance and the nature of the new designs adopted to make them viable and relevant in future development.

    The statement stated that beyond this, however, the responsibility for maintaining the road belongs to the Federal Government.

    The state government appealed to commuters to be patient with it. It pledged its commitment to build a first class road.