The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Julius Berger

  • Julius Berger: When is enough, enough?

    Kabiru Tsakuwa, Kano

     

    Sir: To say that travelling along the Kaduna-Zaria axis of the Kano-Abuja federal highway constitute daily nightmare for motorists clearly understates the grievous problems. Indeed, a journey which normally takes five hours from Kano to Abuja now takes at least 9-10 hours.  And even at that, one must have been extremely lucky to have escaped the notorious Birnin-Yero trap. But those not so fortunate enough usually spend the whole day in the traffic gridlock and it is routine!

    It is common knowledge that the Kaduna-Zaria highway despite being the shortest among the three segments of the Kano-Abuja federal highway under reconstruction by Julius Berger, have nevertheless become the most dangerous due frequent deadly accidents; and serious traffic gridlocks being recorded on daily basis.

    Sadly, no day would pass without an issue of serious traffic hold-ups or avoidable accident along that infamous corridor. More painfully is the attitude of the management of the construction company who seem not to care about the ongoing logjam. It is not unusual for somebody going to Zaria or Kano or any other far northern states as the case may be, to take a detour through Jos road or via a barely passable and makeshift road that burst out adjacent to Jaji Cantonment.

    It is worth noting that while similar constructions are being undertaken concurrently at Kaduna-Abuja and Kano-Zaria axis respectively of the same highway by the company, but the traffic holdup and accidents along those corridors does not in any way measure up to any scale in comparison to Zaria-Kaduna notorious portion! Something must therefore be wrong along the line. But whatever may be cause, the company must shoulder greater responsibility for this endless and deadly nightmare.

    Read Also: Julius Berger to divert another section of Lagos – Ibadan expressway Monday

    Worth recalling too is the fact that whereas both Abuja-Kaduna and Kano-Zaria segments have graciously allowed smooth passage through the completed portions of the highway thus easing the traffic gridlock; the Zaria-Kaduna segment have so far vehemently refused to extend similar gesture to motorist despite all entreaties!

    Government must therefore call the managements of Julius Berger to order because the suffering is way beyond plastic limit. And as a matter of urgent national importance, the management in charge of the Birnin Yero portion must be made to ease the ongoing suffering and avoidable death which has lingered for longer than tolerable to reduce current economic loss arising from deadly accidents, traffic gridlock, and losses in precious man hours. It is high time when enough should be enough on this matter!

  • Julius Berger to open diversions for yuletide

    Julius Berger Nigeria Plc has said it would open some section of diversions at the Lagos and Ogun States axis of the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway and other major highways to ease traffic during the yuletide.

    Ogun State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Clement Oladele hinted this at the sensitisation campaign on the need to adhere strictly to traffic rules during the yuletide.

    The exercise, tagged: “Safe driving, safe arrival”, was organised by the Ifo Unit Command at Ifo Main Motor Park.

    Oladele said opening of the diversions followed several meetings with the company on how to ease traffic congestions on the highway during the period.

    He said: “The Company’s Project Engineer, Mr.  Olaf Thamm, handling the road reconstruction, made this known after a meeting with the FRSC team that they will ensure all fairly motorable sections of the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway are opened, and also rehabilitate all the bad portions on the road that could cause gridlocks.

    “This step was part of the Corps’ activities towards a hitch-free yuletide, and to relief travellers’ of pains and discomforts.”

    Oladele warned motorists to be cautious and adhere to recommended speed limits around the construction sites.

    The Ifo Unit Commander, Joshua Ibitomi, said the command would have zero tolerance for displaying goods on the highways, including picking and dropping of passengers on the road. He urged the transport unions to monitor activities of their drivers to enable them desist from dangerous/wrongful overtaking, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, overloading, excess speeding and the use of expired tyres.

  • Osinbajo directs Julius Berger to hasten work on Ijora Bridge

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday said he had directed Julius Berger Plc, the contractor handling the repair of Ijora Bridge in the Apapa, Lagos State, to hasten work on the bridge and reopen it to traffic as soon as possible.

    The Chairman of Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN), Princess Vicky Haastrup, recently said the closure of a section of the Ijora Bridge, outbound Apapa, was worsening the chaotic traffic situation in the Lagos port community.

    Speaking yesterday on a Lagos-based television station, Wazobia TV, Osinbajo said the reopening of the bridge is vital to the free flow of traffic in Apapa and its environ.

    He said: “While we are fixing the roads, if you stand in front of the port, the bridge Julius Berger is building, they opened one half of the bridge and closed the other half. So, it is not being used. That bridge must be completed and opened.

    “One of the things we have done is telling Julius Berger about two weeks ago that they must complete and open up the bridge. Even when the construction of Wharf Road has been completed and the bridge has not been opened, we will still experience the same problem.”

    The Vice President blamed congestion on the Lagos port access roads on bad roads and increased cargo volume.

    He accused past administrations of abandoning the roads to deteriorate to their present state.

    Osinbajo said: “The Apapa Port was built to handle 38 million metric tonnes of cargo, but it is now handling 84 million metric tonnes. So, it is too small for the volume that it is handling and this has resulted in too many trucks going into the port.

    “When we had the problem the first time and I came to Lagos, we noticed that all the roads around Apapa were bad and we agreed that we would fix them. We agreed to fix the Wharf Road down to Mile 2. We have almost completed the road around the port now; we will then move all the way to Mile 2. We must fix the roads. If they are not fixed, we will continue to have the problem.”

    He said road repair, revival of rail network and revival of the ports outside Lagos area are long-term solutions to the Apapa gridlock.

    Osinbajo said: “But for long-term solution,; three things must be done. The first is that we are building the Lagos-Kano railway and the first phase is the Lagos-Ibadan line, starting from Apapa Port. Many of the goods will be evacuated by rail. The Lagos-Ibadan phase should be completed by next January. We hope to finish the construction to Kano in about two and a half years.”

     

     

     

  • Flood: Kachikwu donates to Delta IDPS

    Minister for Petroleum (State), Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, has donated relief materials to internally displaced persons affected by flooding in Delta State.

    Kachikwu made the donation on Saturday during a visit by the to the Julius Berger IDP Camp in Asaba.

    Items  donated included cash amounting to N1 million, bags of rice and other food items.

    Kachikwu in his speech, sympathized with members of the camp stressing that he as well as the government shared their pain in what he described as a most trying time in their existence.

    Read Also: No plans to sell NLNG – Kachikwu

    According to him, there is need for government to look into resettling the displaced persons. “The people are living in shanties. They obviously need to be resettled. The federal govt will support them. We will look into resettling people.”

    “I am here to see and understand the situation to enable us better intervene. The vice president was here yesterday. This is my personal contribution. It concerns me because in my soil.” Kachikwu stressed.

    Chairman of the Camp, Chief Samuel Obi who received the items on behalf of the members commended Kachikwu for the effort.

    He assured the minister of judicious use of the items even as he urged the government to intensify efforts in ensuring palliative measures for flood probed zones. ”

    He said, “We are very grateful. We didn’t expect it.”

  • Julius Berger assures of speedy completion of Lagos-Ibadan expressway

    •Construction giant records N4.7b profit.

    Construction giant, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, has assured Nigerians of speedy completion of the reconstruction of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

    Its Managing Director, Wolfgang Goetsch, spoke yesterday in Abuja, the nation’s capital, at the company’s 48th annual general meeting (AGM).

    Goetsch said the company was expecting payment from the Federal Government to enable it return to site.

    He urged the government to provide prompt funds to ensure speedy completion of the road.

    The company is one of the contractors handling Section One of the rehabilitation/reconstruction of Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

    Goetsch said: “Yes, we are still handling the Lagos-Ibadan road project. Unfortunately, in the last dry season, we did not work, which is also not technically good. But now is the raining season and since government has remobilised us, we are expecting a huge payment since the voucher was signed yesterday (Wednesday). When the huge payment is done, we can deliver more.

    “But it also falls on appeal to the government that we need money ahead of time.”

    Also, the company, in its 2017 annual reports and financial statements, announced a profit of N4,779,617.

    This is against the N3.82 billion loss it recovered in 2016 when Nigeria slipped into a recession.

    The company’s Chairman Mutiu Sunmonu said its situation had improved since Nigeria moved out of recession.

    He told shareholders at the AGM that the company’s board of directors recommended N1.32 billion dividend pay-out.

    Sunmonu said: “As a result of hard work, tough decision-making and strong strategic and financial planning, the management, together with the workers, were able to reduce losses and bring the company back to profitability.

    “As an organisation, we remain optimistic with regard to our country’s immense potential. But considering the current political and economic state of affairs, we are cautious and conservative in our planning. Consequently, performance planning will be upwardly adjusted marginally to reflect incremental growth targets in direct operational resources, but not in overheads.

    “We will continue to find innovative ways to adapt to the changing circumstances of the country and fully seize potentials. This is not our only strength but also our promise to you.”

  • Julius Berger eyes 45% growth in revenue

    Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, the country’s largest construction company by market value, forecast a 45 per cent jump in 2018 revenue as the economy recovers from a 2016 contraction and the foreign-exchange market stabilises.

    The construction giant, which derives two-thirds of its earnings from government contracts, expects revenue to grow to N210 billion, spurred by contracts in the past year valued at N500 billion ($1.4 billion), Managing Director Wolfgang Goetsch said in a May 24 interview at the company’s office in Abuja.

    “From 2014 to 2017 we had a decline in revenue,” Goetsch said. Combined with the weakening of the naira, the company registered a fall in earnings of almost 70 per cent in dollar terms, he added. “With five months already into the year, our forecast is we will have very significant growth, of about 45 per cent,” this year.

    Julius Berger, which has operated in Africa’s most-populous country since 1965, saw earnings slide as Nigeria suffered its worst economic contraction in 25 years in 2016 as a slump in the price of oil, its main export, caused foreign-currency shortages.

  • Julius Berger declares N1.32b dividend

    Julius Berger Nigeria Plc would be distributing N1.32 billion as cash dividend to shareholders for the 2017 business year.

    The board of the leading construction company at the weekend announced that it had recommended payment of N1.32 billion to shareholders, representing a dividend per share of N1.

    Key extracts of the audited report and accounts of Julius Berger Nigeria for the year ended December 31, 2017 released at the weekend showed that while the company continued to struggle operationally, it rode on the back of increased non-operational income and financial management to return to profitability in 2017.

    Group total income increased marginally from N138.99 billion in 2016 to N141.89 billion in 2017. However, gross profit dropped from N54.23 billion to N44.3 billion. Operating profit also halved from N16.79 billion in 2017 to close 2017 at N8.69 billion.

    The company, however, recorded investment income of N1.13 billion in 2017, a major jump from N285 million recorded in 2016. Other gains also totalled N4.08 billion in 2017 as against N1.44 billion in 2016.

    With improvement in the foreign exchange management, the company witnessed significant reduction in its foreign exchange losses. With these, profit before tax stood at N3.74 billion in 2017 as against pre-tax loss of N1.5 billion in 2016. After taxes, net profit stood at N2.57 billion compared with net loss of N2.4 billion in 2016.

     

     

  • Fashola decries illegal sand mining at Tamburawa River in Kano

    Fashola decries illegal sand mining at Tamburawa River in Kano

    The Minister of Power Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, has decried illegal sand mining in Tamburawa River in Kano state, urging the state government and the Emirate Council to ban the mining activities.

    Fashola made the call in Kano when he visited Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State and the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II.

    He said continued sand mining at the site would not sustain the Federal Government’s ongoing project of reinstating and protecting the bridge constructed over the river as a result of the earlier exposure of its foundation.

    “There was an erosion problem caused by illegal sand mining which had exposed the foundation of the bridge and endangering the entire structure.

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    “The Federal Government has responded to the problem and in another five months from now, the contractor will complete his work.
    “But we need the Kano State Government to assist us in ensuring that the sand mining activities in the river is moved away from the proximity of the bridge.

    “If it continues, it will continue to endanger that bridge in spite of our efforts, so I am appealing to you, the government and the people of Kano to help us protect the asset.

    “The contractor has recommended that no mining should take place within three kilometres on either sides of the bridge,” he said.

    Fashola told the governor and the emir separately that the Federal Government had awarded the rehabilitation of the 360 kilometres Abuja-Kano road to Julius Berger.

    He said two contractors; Metropolitan Construction Company and MotherCat had been deployed to provide routine maintenance on the Kano-Zaria section of the road.
    The minister said this was to ensure that the road remained passable pending the commencement of the rehabilitation work.

    Fashola said he was in the state ahead of the top management retreat of the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing holding in the state capital on Friday and Saturday.

    In his response, Sanusi commended the minister for the visit and the choice of Kano State as the venue of the retreat.

    He applauded the minister for the award of Abuja-Kano road rehabilitation and other ongoing Federal Government projects in the state.

    The monarch, however, solicited for more and assured the minister that the emirate council would support the Federal Government to ensure a stop to sand mining in Tamburawa River.

    In a related development, Prof Hafiz Abubarkar, the Deputy Governor of Kano State, who received the minister, also solicited for more of the Federal Government presence in the state.

    NAN

     

  • Julius Berger returns to Lagos-Ibadan Expressway this month

    Construction work would resume this month on the Section 1 of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. The Federal Government has mobilised the contractor, Julius Berger Plc, to return to site, it was learnt yesterday.

    The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Mr Godwin Eke, confirmed the development after inspecting road projects in Lagos.

    Eke said that the project was over 50 per cent completed before the contractors left site due to debts owed it.

    Section 1 of the project awarded Julius Berger spans from the old toll gate plaza at Ojota end of the highway in Lagos State to the Sagamu Interchange in Ogun.

    Messrs Reynolds Construction Company (RCC) was hired by the Federal Government to reconstruct Section 2 which spans from the Sagamu Interchange to Ibadan in Oyo State.

    Eke said: “Recently, we got approval for the augmentation because at a point, Julius Berger could not make claims for works already executed.

    “So, now that we have the approval in our hands, construction work will soon resume fully on Section 1 of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. The project is more than 50 per cent completed.”

    According to him, the President Muhammad Buhari-led administration had been able to clear the debt owed by previous administrations on road projects.

    Eke said that this would pave the way for the completion of the various ongoing road projects.

    The controller also said that construction work had resumed on the two pedestrian bridges on the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway.

  • Julius Berger to return to Lagos-Ibadan Expressway project in March

    Julius Berger to return to Lagos-Ibadan Expressway project in March

    Construction  work would resume this March on the Section 1 of the  Lagos-Ibadan Expressway under reconstruction  as the Federal Government had mobilized the contractor, Julius Berger PLC., to return to site.

    The Federal Controller of Works, Lagos, Mr Godwin Eke s disclosed this to Newsome after  his inspection of road projects in Lagos on Wednesday.

    He  said that the project was over 50 per cent completed before the contractors left site due to debts owed it.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Section 1 of the project being handled by Julius Berger spans from old toll gate plaza at  Ojota in Lagos state  to Sagamu Interchange in Ogun.

    Section 2 which  spans from the Sagamu Interchange to Ibadanin in Oyo State is being handled by Reynolds Construction Company (RCC).

    Eke who supervises Section 1 of the expressway said,
    “Recently, we got approval for augumentation because at a point, Julius Berger could not make claims for works already executed.

    “So, now that we have the approval in our  hands , construction work will  soon resume  fully on Section 1 of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

    “The project is more than 50 per cent completed,” he said.

     

    He said that the President Muhammad Buhari-led administration had  been able to clear debt owed by previous administrations on road projects.

    Eke  said that this would pave way for the completion of the various roads projects ongoing across the nation.

    The controller also said that construction work had resumed on the  two pedestrian bridges on the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway.

    He said that the contractors had earlier abandoned site because  there was the  need to harmonise the design of the foot bridge project.

    He said that the  bridges are  Bus Rapid Transit project  being executed by the Lagos State Government on the highway.

    Earlier, the Director, Federal Highways, South West, Mr Emmanuel Adeoye who had  been on tour of road projects in his zone said that he had inspected projects in Oyo, Ogun and Ondo States.

    He said  that work was progressing steadily on Section 2 of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

    Adeoye said that “ancillary work” was being done on Section 2 of  the highway.

    “I am just  returning  from the inspection of Section 2 of the expressway being handled by RCC and their workers were  working seriously.(NAN)